@article {Delgado1276, author = {Cion{\'e}ia K Delgado and Mariana R Gazzotti and Ilka L Santoro and Andrea K Carvalho and Jos{\'e} R Jardim and Oliver A Nascimento}, title = {Internet Use for Health-Care Information by Subjects With COPD}, volume = {60}, number = {9}, pages = {1276--1281}, year = {2015}, doi = {10.4187/respcare.03716}, publisher = {Respiratory Care}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Although the internet is an important tool for entertainment, work, learning, shopping, and communication, it is also a possible source for information on health and disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the proportion of subjects with COPD in S{\~a}o Paulo, Brazil, who use the internet to obtain information about their disease.METHODS: Subjects (N = 382) with COPD answered a 17-question survey, including information regarding computer use, internet access, and searching for sites on COPD. Our sample was distributed according to the socioeconomic levels of the Brazilian population (low, 17.8\%; medium, 66.5\%; and high, 15.7\%).RESULTS: Most of the subjects in the sample were male (62.6\%), with a mean age of 67.0 {\textpm} 9.9 y. According to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages, 74.3\% of the subjects were in stage II or III. In addition, 51.6\% of the subjects had a computer, 49.7\% accessed the internet, and 13.9\% used it to search for information about COPD. The internet was predominantly accessed by male (70.3\%) and younger (64.6 {\textpm} 9.5 y of age) subjects compared with female (29.7\%, P = .04) and older (67.5 {\textpm} 9.6 y of age, P \< .007) subjects. Searching for information about COPD on the internet was associated with having a computer (5.9-fold), Medical Research Council dyspnea level 1 (5.3-fold), and high social class (8.4-fold). The search for information on COPD was not influenced by GOLD staging.CONCLUSIONS: A low percentage of subjects with COPD in S{\~a}o Paulo use the internet as a tool to obtain information about their disease. This search is associated with having a computer, low dyspnea score, and high socioeconomic level.}, issn = {0020-1324}, URL = {https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/60/9/1276}, eprint = {https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/60/9/1276.full.pdf}, journal = {Respiratory Care} }