Women turn online for health info.(research on women)

Even though men (73%) and women (75%) are equally likely to have Internet access, women are significantly more likely than men to go online to look for health information (86% vs. 73%), according to the Pew Internet Project and the California Healthcare Association. Fewer than two in 10 women (13%) and men (15%) use a smartphone's Internet capabilities to look for health information.

Women, in general, search for specific diseases or medical problems, doctors or healthcare professionals, food safety or recalls, and health insurance. One in four women Internet users (24%) has looked online for information about pregnancy and childbirth. Few men or women, perhaps thankfully, search for end-of-life information (7% each). [HEALTH/WELLNESS]

HEALTH TOPICS WOMEN, MEN LOOK UP ONLINE                                      Women  MenSpecific disease, medical problem      74%   57%Certain medical treatment, procedure   53%   48%Doctors, health professionals          50%   36%Hospitals, medical facilities          41%   30%Health insurance                       34%   32%Food safety, recalls                   32%   26%Drug safety, recalls                   28%   19%Environmental health hazards           22%   23%Pregnancy, childbirth                  24%    3%Memory loss, Alzheimer's               19%   14%Medical test results                   18%   14%Managing chronic pain                  15%   13%Long-term care for disabled, elderly   13%    9%End-of-life decisions                   7%    7%SOURCES: Pew Research Center, California Healthcare FoundationNote: Table made from bar graph.

SOURCES: Colifornia Healthcare Foundation, Sam karp, VP programs, 1438 Webster St., #400, Oakland, CA 94612; 510-238-1040; chl@chcf.org; www.chcf.org.

Pew Research Center, Susannah Fox, Associate Director, 1651 L St. NW, #700, Washington, DC 20036:202-419-4500: www.pewinternet.org.