Digital Pathways to Positive Health Perceptions: Does Age Moderate the Relationship Between Medical Satisfaction and Positive Health Perceptions Among Middle-Aged and Older Internet Users?

OBJECTIVES: We explored the influence of e-trust, e-health literacy, e-health information seeking, and e-health information consumerism on medical satisfaction and positive health perceptions. METHODS: Our sample consisted of 499 randomly selected panel members aged 40–93. We employed hierarchical ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses and structural equation modeling (SEM). We examined the moderating role of age on the relationship between medical satisfaction and positive health perceptions. RESULTS: A significant interaction was found between age and medical satisfaction in predicting positive health perceptions in the OLS regression models. Medical satisfaction has a stronger association with self-care, health-related quality of life, and health status in the older adult sample as compared with the middle-aged sample. SEM analyses revealed that e-health information seeking has an indirect effect on both medical satisfaction and positive health perceptions through its significant direct effect on e-health information consumerism. Both e-trust and e-health consumerism were significant predictors. The e-health literacy and e-trust measures were significant predictors of the positive health perception index in the OLS regression models. DISCUSSION: The results contribute to our understanding of the potential benefits information technologies have for the health and well-being of computer-connected aging adults.