Women more likely to use the internet for health reasons, study finds
Women are more likely than men to use the internet to find health related information, book doctor’s appointments and order prescriptions, according to research carried out by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
The data comes from the 2020 Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, and was carried out via online surveys and telephone interviews.
ONS looked at the internet use of different genders and ages over a three-month period in 2020. They concluded that 67% of women surveyed used the internet looked for health related information compared to 53% men. These searches related to finding out information about injuries and diseases, as well as nutrition and wellbeing tips.
The research also says that 24% of women used the internet to book appointments with medical professionals, in comparison to 17% of men.
The gap between ordering prescriptions is smaller, yet women still take the lead with 17% compared to men who came in at 14%.
This data certainly plays into the stereotype that men are more likely to stick their heads in the sand when it comes to medical issues, but paramedic and student Jessica Male says this can sometimes cause more problems that solutions.
“I think googling symptoms can sometimes cause distress to patients as it often offers insight into the ‘worst case scenario’, and can sometimes lead to them feeling more anxious or worse,” she says.
Jessica finished a bachelor’s degree in paramedical science in 2020, and now works with the London Ambulance Service alongside studying for her master’s degree in nursing.
When asked if she sees a divide in gender when attending patients who have looked up symptoms on the internet she answered “no, not really”.
Which medical emergencies seem to start with a quick googling of symptoms before dialling 999?
“Ambiguous pain such as chest pain or abdominal pain tend to be the most googled of symptoms.
“It can make it difficult as people make their mind up in their head, and when someone challenges that it can make people upset,” Jessica added.
Having worked all over London during her three years at St Georges university and throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Jessica has seen her fair share of self-diagnosed patients.
She said, “It also means people have already decided what treatment they want, for example an x-ray, or a certain drug, which can lead to a feeling of disappointment when this isn’t offered to them, thus leading to tension between emergency staff and patients and their relatives.”
The Opinion and Lifestyle Survey is carried out annually. It covers data surrounding online purchases, frequency of internet use and household access to the internet among other topics.
It found that 96% of households in Great Britain have internet access in 2020, up 3% from the previous year. When the survey began in 2006, only 57% of households had internet access, showing a rise of 36%.
