socioeconomic status and health communication inequalities in japan a nationwide cross-sectional survey社会经济状况和健康传播的不平等在日本全国性的横断面调查.pdf

Socioeconomic Status and Health Communication Inequalities in Japan: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey 1 2 3,4 3,5 Yoshiki Ishikawa *, Hiromu Nishiuchi , Hana Hayashi , Kasisomayajula Viswanath 1 Department of Public Health, Jichi Medical University, Shimotuke-shi, Tochigi, Japan, 2 Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 3 Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, 4 Public Health Department, McCann Healthcare Worldwide Japan, Inc, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 5 Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America Abstract Background: Considerable evidence suggests that communication inequality is one potential mechanism linking social determinants, particularly socioeconomic status, and health inequalities. This study aimed to examine how dimensions of health communication outcomes (health information seeking, self-efficacy, exposure, and trust) are patterned by socioeconomic status in Japan. Methods: Data of a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 2,455 people aged 15–75 years in Japan were used for secondary analysis. Measures included socio-demographic characteristics, subjective health, recent health information seeking, self-efficacy in seeking health information, and exposure to and trust in health information from different media. Results: A total of 1,311 participants completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 53.6%. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that education and household income, but not employment, were signifi