What Shapes Health Information Seeking Behavior Among Kenya’s Elderly Slum Dwellers

Abstract

There is a strong correlation between media use and quality of life because various channels aid positive social change, including healthy eating in contemporary communities. This research highlights the essential attributes that influence the choice of media for elderly people in Kenya’s slums and how it influences their health-related knowledge in terms of the major variables that shape their health information-seeking behavior. Interviews and focus group discussions provided valuable insights into the underlying elements that shape health information-seeking behavior. It was found that anxiety, attitudes, self-efficacy, and health literacy were the major contributing elements that determined how the elderly utilized various health channels. Media can play a great role in the dissemination of quality health knowledge. In this regard, boosting media channels for quality health knowledge dissemination may include adjusting radio content to address local needs for the elderly, strengthening social networks to enhance interpersonal communication, and involving all health stakeholders to improve the digital media navigation skills of the elderly.