Perceived Credibility of Online Health Information in China: A Survey of College Students in Ganzhou

The current research aims to explore why and how Chinese people use online health information and how they perceive the credibility of online health information in terms of information itself and website features by conducting a survey among college students in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province. The three models of credibility evaluation (binary, threshold and spectral evaluation) proposed by Fogg and Tseng and the Elaboration Likelihood Model developed by Petty and Cacioppo were used as the theoretical framework of this paper.

The survey found three primary reasons for students to search online health information (the convenience and quickness to search, the wide varieties and the free availability of online health information). A majority of respondents perceived online health information in a neutral way. In general, different users evaluated the credibility of online health information in different ways. The expertness and personalization of online health information were meaningful in constructing users’ perceived credibility.