Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
Winter 3-12-2021
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The Internet provides information on a variety of subjects including health-related information. Access to Internet health information could potentially promote healthy adolescents' lifestyles. Consequently, this may reduce the number of common illness among the youth and thereby reducing the overall cases at health centers. This study was carried out to examine the use of Internet for seeking health information among Narh-Bita College students, Tema, Ghana. The study was a quantitative cross-sectional survey with a convenience sampling method. The study covered one hundred and sixty-one (161) students. The findings of the study revealed that almost all the students were active users of the Internet and majority of them were using the Internet for seeking health information. A considerable majority of the participating students considered obtained Internet health information very useful. In addition, more than 96% of the students confirmed that obtained Internet health information had improved their health a lot. Further, about three quarters of the participants felt that obtained Internet health had an influence on the way they related to their health care providers and their health decision-making. The study therefore concludes that students of higher education of learning are active Internet users as well as high consumers of Internet health information. However, advanced searching skills among the sampled students seemed problematic as very few of the students employed it in their Internet health information searching. Hence, the study recommends that electronic searching training sessions should be organized on regular basis for the students, in addiction to making e-health information easily accessible to all.
Comments
This paper is an original work of the author and all references have been acknowledged. This is one of the thorough process of research the author has embarked on to put together this paper in the College campus so as to contribute to the body of knowledge in this field.