Online Information-Seeking Behaviors of Parents of Children With ADHD

Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2018 Jan;57(1):52-56. doi: 10.1177/0009922817691821. Epub 2017 Feb 9.

Abstract

This article describes ( a) parent questions about ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), ( b) parent Internet use to seek ADHD information, and ( c) associations between type of Internet access and ADHD information-seeking. Seventy parents of children (ages 7-17 years) with ADHD completed questionnaires after their child's visit with their pediatrician. Bivariate relationships were assessed using chi-square statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, or t tests. Parents identified an average of 8.9 questions about ADHD for their child's provider. Common questions were related to medication and long-term implications of ADHD. A majority of parents searched the Internet for general ADHD information (87%) and ADHD medication information (81%). White parents accessed the Internet significantly more via home computer, mobile phone, and tablet, and significantly less via public library than non-White parents. Parents who accessed the Internet via home computers and tablets were more likely to search the Internet for ADHD medication information than parents who did not.

Keywords: ADHD; Internet; communication; information-seeking; medication; parent.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / therapy*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Information Seeking Behavior*
  • Internet*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • North Carolina
  • Parents*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires