Women rely on Internet for health information

Of the 1,700 adults Burst Media surveyed online it transpired that women are much more likely to surf the Internet for health information than men – 71.7% versus 60.5%. That’s unsurprising when you consider that women have traditionally turned to family and friends for medical advice.

Women are far more likely to openly discuss a problem and, for that reason, are also heavy users of health-related forums, blogs and other UGC websites. They tend to be more proactive than their male counterparts seeking out family healthcare solutions as well as personal ones.

Nutrition is the most-searched health-related content, with women again being the biggest searchers, in particular those aged 25-34. Men, it appears, aren’t avidly searching for health information online until their later years, beginning around age 45.

Commercial sites such as WebMD.com and Wellness.com are very popular, especially among affluent women aged 55 years and older, found the survey. These, too, are consumers that will click on drug ads.

“The demographic of people that seek wellness information is a marketer’s dream, both from an age, gender and income perspective,” said Jarvis Coffin, CEO of Burst Media.

Tags: health, search marketing, women