To Share or Not to Share: A Cross-Sectional Study on Health Information Sharing and Its Determinants Among Chinese Rural Chronic Patients

To examine the determinants of the health information sharing among rural Chinese chronic patients. Two large population-based surveys in rural China were carried out from July 2011 to April 2012. Data used in this study were second hand and sorted out from the two previous databases. A binary logistic regression analysis was employed to discover the impact of demographic characteristics, level of health literacy, and other factors on respondents’ health information sharing behavior. Among the total 1,324 participants, 63.6% share health information with others. Among all significant predictors, those who acquire health information via family and friends are 6.0 times the odds of sharing health information than those who do not. Participants who have more than six household members, with middle and high levels of health knowledge, and who are moderately involved in discussions or settlements of village affairs are also more likely to share health information. The reliance on interpersonal communication channels for health information, household size, the patients’ preexisting health knowledge, and their activity in village affairs are crucial determinants for health information sharing among rural chronic patients. A more sophisticated model needs to be established to reveal the complex processes of health information communication.