Dimensions of Health Information Behavior of the Poor Affected by Annual Flooding in East Bandung Region, Indonesia

Background. Poor environmental quality has its greatest impact on people whose health status is already at risk. This study specifically examined the health information behavior dimensions of the poor affected by annual flooding in East Bandung. The focus included the dimensions of needs, expectations, seeks, and use of health information and environmental information sources in the affected areas. Method. The study used the interview survey method involving 136 respondents. Results. Study results showed that: (1) from the aspect of profile: most prominent in poor families was the very low income, living in a very small-sized house, and on average bore the needs of about 3-4 people; (2) from the needs dimension: the most prominent was the type of information related to basic needs including food, clothing, shelter, health, and education; (3) from the dimension of information retrieval: the most prominent was the passive and active way of seeking informal sources and channels of interpersonal information which were limited in scope such as neighbors, relatives, and similar work peer; (4) from the dimension of information use, the most prominent was the type of health information with sources such as the nearest healthcare providers included neighbors and close relatives. Almost none of them used information from print or electronic media; (5) from the dimension of expectation: in general, they expected immediate assistance from the government or others to cover their basic needs, including the need for treatment if sick. Keywords: Health Information; Information Needs; Information Seeking; Information Use; Poor People; Flooded Area.