Objective: This study assesses the effects of socioeconomic status (education and poverty) on seeking health information and subsequent use of this information during the medical encounter. Method: Data on 19,944 adults (aged 45 and older) were drawn from the 2000-2001 Household Component of the Community Tracking Study, a nationally representative survey of non-institutionalized individuals. Results: Higher levels of education were associated with a greater likelihood of seeking health information and mentioning information to physicians. The poor and near poor were less likely to seek health information, but only the near poor were significantly less likely to mention information to the physician. Discussion: These findings underscore the importance of education in the acquisition and use of health information among middle-aged and older adults.
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