The purpose of the master's thesis is to examine the characteristics and ways of searching for online health-related information in the Slovenian adult population in terms of the sources used, the level of trust in and the purposes of searching for online health related information. Special emphasis was placed on examining the connections between the characteristics and search methods, sociodemographic factors and e-health literacy. The master's thesis is based on secondary data from the research »Zdravje na spletu: Iskanje z zdravjem povezanih spletnih informacij, odnos z zdravnikom in zdravstvena pismenost v povezavi s cepljenjem«. The analysis was conducted using canonical correlation analysis. The results showed that individuals search for online health information to prepare for a visit to the doctor, deal with health problems, obtain general information and seek social support. They place the most trust in scientific sources and health professionals, and the least in social networks. The canonical correlation analysis revealed several important profiles of searchers. Older people with lower education levels have emerged as a vulnerable group with lower e-health literacy, while younger, who know how to use technology, are often poorly trained to critically evaluate information and are therefore more exposed to misinformation. The findings contribute to understanding the behavior and characteristics of searchers and provide a basis for the development of public health campaigns and tools to improve e-health literacy.
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