Research has demonstrated links between patient-centered communication (PCC) and patients’ health outcomes. However, little is known about the underlying processes that may mediate the relationship. This study is one of the first to examine the influence of PCC on older adults’ health outcomes, as well as the mediation role of health competence, from a longitudinal perspective. With a general basis of Street et al.’s pathway model, we proposed and tested mediation pathways linking patient-centered communication to the older population’s general and mental health, mediated by health competence. Data from 2011, 2017 and 2020 iterations of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) were used for this study. This study focused on older adults aged 60 and above. Results indicated that after controlling participants’ age, gender, education, income and race, PCC is related to the older people’s health outcomes either directly or indirectly, irrespective of time series. Specifically, health competence was found to significantly mediate the associations between PCC and the older adults’ general health or mental health over the three iterations. Noteworthily, findings from this study also revealed that different dimensions of PCC might exert different influences on older patients’ health competence and health outcomes.

Drawn upon the cognitive mediation model, this study proposes an adapted model and examines the mechanisms by which Chinese women’s risk perception of breast cancer becomes associated with their breast cancer examination intention. Our hypothesized model was largely supported by an online survey with a nationwide sample of 458 Chinese women. The results indicated that a person’s perceived risk for breast cancer motivated information seeking and scanning using various mass media and online channels, which then positively predicted the person’s quest for greater elaboration and more interpersonal discussion. In addition, elaboration was positively associated with breast cancer-related factual knowledge and subjective norms, whereas interpersonal discussion only exerted a positive relationship with subjective norms but not factual knowledge. As predicted, knowledge and subjective norms were positively associated with people’s intentions to pursue breast cancer examination. Future research should consider both information seeking and scanning in the process of media learning and reflection. In addition to intrapersonal factors like knowledge, the interpersonal reasoning process that cultivates a favorable social influence is pivotal in promoting breast cancer examination in China.

As one of the largest mobile social media in the world, WeChat holds great potential for promoting health. Users not only seek and exchange health information on WeChat but also fulfill their health-related needs afforded by the platform. Using the two-step procedure common in uses and gratifications research, in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 WeChat users to explore their motivations for health-related uses on the platform, which were further rated by 522 WeChat users in China through a national wide online survey. Exploratory factor analysis identified five motivations: information seeking, building self-agency, social interaction, technological convenience, and self-expression. A series of hierarchical regression analyses reveals that social interaction is the best predictor of healthcare information engagement on WeChat, followed by building self-agency, information needs, and self-expression. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the psychological antecedents of using mobile social media for health-related purposes and the subsequent active behavior responses.

Guided by the three-stage model and the integration of key constructs from the Health Belief Model, this study proposed a conceptual model to delve into the underlying mechanism linking health information seeking to psychological well-being. A nationwide online survey was administered, involving 522 WeChat users in China. The results of structural equation modeling analysis showed that health consciousness and WeChat health information reliability are significant antecedents predicting users’ health information-seeking actions on WeChat, while perceived susceptibility, severity, and self-efficacy did not have significant relationships with such behavior. As predicted, the positive relationship between WeChat health information seeking and psychological well-being is mediated by perceived social support. The findings of this study provide both theoretical and practical implications to guide the use of mobile social media as a milieu for health improvement.

Given the myriad of media channels and available health information, it is important to investigate how health consumers navigate and choose from multiple media channels in seeking health information and their preferences among different media sources. Previous research has routinely measured health information-seeking behavior (HISB), especially online health information seeking as a whole, which does not capture the complexity and diversity of media channels used in HISB. On the basis of the channel complementarity theory, this study further classified new media into search engines, social media, and mobile health applications. The results of a secondary analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey in China (HINTS-China) reinforced the occurrence of media complementary between information-oriented media (newspapers and magazines) and entertainment-oriented media (television). In addition, people used traditional media complementarily with new media, except information-oriented media and search engine use exhibited a displacement relationship. Moreover, the results indicated different profiles of health information seekers varied according to the diverse media channels, although media trust, perceived poor health status, chronic disease, and family cancer history consistently propelled HISB for both online and offline media channels. Implications for theory and practice for health communication were discussed.