Mapping Health Information Avoidance Among Older Adults in China: Informational, Social and Psychological Dynamics in the Social Media Landscape

Abstract

This study examines the determinants of health information avoidance on social media among Chinese adults aged 50 and above. Drawing on the planned risk information avoidance (PRIA) framework, it examines how informational characteristics-information accessibility, information overload, and interpersonal information exposure-influence avoidance through the internal mechanisms of negative emotion and eHealth literacy. Individuals aged 50 and above were selected due to the statutory retirement age for female workers in China, marking a transition into older adulthood. An anonymous survey of 921 respondents aged 50 and above was conducted, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. The results show that information accessibility decreases negative emotion and enhances eHealth literacy, whereas information overload heightens negative emotion and reduces eHealth literacy. Interpersonal information exposure directly reduces avoidance and enhances eHealth literacy but has no significant effect on negative emotion. Both negative emotion and eHealth literacy significantly predict health information avoidance. The findings highlight the interplay of emotional and cognitive factors in avoidance behaviors. Addressing information overload, improving e-health literacy, and leveraging interpersonal support are key strategies for reducing avoidance and fostering better engagement with health information among digitally active older adults.