eprintid: 10204336 rev_number: 15 eprint_status: archive userid: 699 dir: disk0/10/20/43/36 datestamp: 2025-03-06 10:59:19 lastmod: 2025-03-06 10:59:19 status_changed: 2025-03-06 10:59:19 type: thesis metadata_visibility: show sword_depositor: 699 creators_name: Alturkistani, Saffanah Adel Q title: Providing Arabic Online Health Information to the Public in Saudi Arabia: Scoping review and Qualitative Exploration of consumer preferences and content creator experience ispublished: unpub divisions: UCL divisions: B02 divisions: D12 note: Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. abstract: BACKGROUND: Saudi Arabia, home to 33 million people, is a nation undergoing rapid transformation driven by the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030. The country’s predominantly young population relies heavily on the internet as an information source for news and otherwise. However, due to the generally low English proficiency, most online activity occurs in Arabic. The quality of health information available in Arabic is often subpar. This means that information is mediated by healthcare professionals and not easily accessible to the public. Addressing the need for accurate Arabic online health information is crucial for empowering the Saudi public and supporting the healthcare transformation goals set by Vision 2030. AIM: To propose key elements to consider when creating online Arabic health information for the public in Saudi Arabia. OBJECTIVES: Identify what is known about the use of online health information (OHI) in Saudi Arabia. Explore the perceptions and preferences of consumers when using the Internet for health information. Explore the experience of Arabic OHI content creators and their decision-making processes when creating and providing their content. METHODS: Methods were selected to match objectives: first objective was addressed with a systematic scoping review. For the second and third objectives, qualitative interviews with consumers and content creators of Arabic OHI in Saudi Arabia were conducted, respectively. RESULTS: The scoping review indicated a significant demand for Arabic OHI in Saudi Arabia. Approximately a third of the population identified the Internet as a source of their health information knowledge. Younger, educated women with higher incomes, and individuals with chronic diseases were more likely to use the internet for health information. Interviews with consumers of Arabic OHI revealed a gap between consumers’ expectation and needs; and the currently available Arabic OHI content. Interviews with content creators elucidated the benefits and struggles of the decision-making processes involved in providing OHI in Arabic. CONCLUSION: This thesis provides the foundation for providing OHI in Arabic for population of Saudi Arabian population. The establishment of a comprehensive and credible digital health information infrastructure is of paramount importance. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders and adhering to ethical standards, we can create a more informed and healthier society. date: 2025-02-28 date_type: published oa_status: green full_text_type: other thesis_class: doctoral_open thesis_award: Ph.D language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green verified: verified_manual elements_id: 2358139 lyricists_name: Alturkistani, Saffanah lyricists_id: SALTU11 actors_name: Alturkistani, Saffanah actors_id: SALTU11 actors_role: owner full_text_status: public pages: 249 institution: UCL (University College London) department: Primary Care and Population Health thesis_type: Doctoral citation: Alturkistani, Saffanah Adel Q; (2025) Providing Arabic Online Health Information to the Public in Saudi Arabia: Scoping review and Qualitative Exploration of consumer preferences and content creator experience. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). Green open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10204336/13/Alturkistani_10204336_thesis_sigs_removed.pdf