Traditional and Online Health Information Seeking Among Individuals With Limited English Proficiency in the United States: Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose We investigate how individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) seek, access, and evaluate traditional and online sources they rely on for health information.Design Retrospective cross-sectional survey analysis from the United States.Setting Pooled Health Information National Trends Survey surveys (2013-2019).Subjects The sample was comprised 15,316 respondents; 236/15,316 (1.54%) completed the survey in Spanish and 1727/14,734 (11.72%) had LEP (did not speak English "very well"). The sample was nationally representative across demographic categories.Measures Independent and dependent variables were self-reported using validated measures.Analysis Multivariable logistic regression models using jackknife replicate weights for population estimates.Results Adults with LEP were less confident in their capacity to access health information (aOR = 0.59, CI: 0.47-0.75) and had less trust in health information from medical professionals (aOR = 0.57,CI: 0.46-0.72) than English proficient (EP) adults. Although LEP and EP adults were both most likely to use the internet as their first source of information, LEP adults were more likely than EP adults to consult health professionals, print sources like books, news or brochures, family and friends, television and radio. Spanish language survey respondents were more likely to trust health information from government agencies (aOR = 1.99, CI: 1.09-3.62) and watch health-related videos on the internet than respondents who took the survey in English (aOR = 2.51, CI: 1.23-5.12).Conclusion Our results show how language barriers may contribute to health disparities experienced by linguistic minorities. Government agencies and health care organizations need to promote health information dissemination in underserved communities and may need to embrace the use of alternative information sources such as television, radio, and the internet to reach LEP populations.