Trust, Risk Barriers and Health Beliefs in Consumer Acceptance of Online Health Services

The Web is an important health information dissemination channel. Potential benefits cannot materialize unless online health information services are accepted and used by consumers. This study develops a research model by integrating the health belief model (HBM) and extended valence framework to explain user acceptance (behavioral intentions). We collected data from a sample of 703 university students in South Africa. Trust had the strongest effect on acceptance. Perceived risk barriers also had significant impacts on acceptance. Furthermore, we confirmed health belief variables, namely perceived susceptibility and severity, are important to consumer acceptance. Selfefficacy was found to moderate the effect of perceived severity on acceptance. The model explains 47.5% of the variance in intentions to use online health information services. Results have helped us identify the relative salience of HBM and extended valence framework in consumer acceptance of online health information services and have important implications for practice.