Acne and adult ADHD sufferers are the condition groups most likely to watch their TV on the Internet, according to a Manhattan Research survey.

The Cybercitizen Health v8.0 study found that as less than half of US adults reporting doing all their TV viewing the old-fashioned way, through TV sets, some condition groups are more predisposed to online TV viewing. After acne and adult ADHD sufferers were those with eczema, allergies and bipolar disorder.

If those disease states would seem, unsurprisingly, to suggest a younger demographic, that’s no coincidence. The average age of those streaming or downloading their shows was 39. But it’s nonetheless important for companies marketing products for those ailments to know where they can reach their intended audience, said Meredith Abreu Ressi, VP research at Manhattan Research.

“With television networks partnering with video-sharing websites like YouTube and Hulu and DVR adoption increasing, one thing is clear – when it comes to media, the consumer is in control,” said Ressi. “For healthcare and pharmaceutical marketers, it’s critical to understand how adoption rates and media mix differ by disease group. Brand teams in the know will take advantage of new advertising capabilities to hyper-target desired audiences and give them a customized brand experience.”

The survey of 8,714 US adults also found the Internet surpassing doctors as a source of health and medical information for the first time, with more than 145 million US adults surfing the web for health info.

“The thing that was most striking is that there really are these emerging segments of consumers who are not being reached through those traditional channels,” said Ressi. “They’re almost exclusively relying on online sources in managing their healthcare.”