Study of health information needs among adolescents in Croatia shows distinct gender differences in information seeking behaviour

Abstract

Background: Understanding the health information needs of adolescents is the first step towards providing them with relevant information to aid them in their decision making regarding health issues. Objective: The goal of this study is to assess adolescents' needs, perceptions and sources of health information. Methods: Four hundred sixty-nine high school students in Osijek, Croatia, participated in this study by answering a questionnaire. The collected data were analysed using basic frequency and non-parametric statistical methods. Results: The most popular health topics identified by adolescents in our study were nutrition, diseases, depression, relationships, sexual intercourse and alcohol.Adolescents consider their parents the most reliable personal source of health information (72.0%), while they perceive the Internet as the main non-personal source of health information (29.8%). Adolescents wish to get more education about health issues at school (54.4%). Significant gender differences were found in adolescents' needs, perceptions and sources of health information. Conclusions: It is important to provide adolescents with systematic institutional health education and improve health advisory services and library/information services to assist adolescents in locating health information and resolving their health related questions.

Risk and protective factors for health behaviour in adolescence in Europe

“…Our results agreed the reliable sources of information for adolescents in health behaviour issues and the increasing use of sexual health information online among adolescents that was observed in many other countries (e.g. USA [19], UK [20], Norway [21], The Netherlands [22], Croatia [23]).…”

Usage of eHealth/mHealth Services among Young Czech Adults and the Impact of COVID-19: An Explorative Survey

“…This finding confirms the conclusions of previous research studies carried out in different countries e.g., [ 8 , 22 ], indicating that women perform these activities more often. However, a more fine-grained perspective on this problem would be beneficial, as different health information areas attract different levels of attention from the lay public [ 61 ].…”

Health literacy and consumer health information

“…This issue concludes with a questionnaire survey by Martinović et al (2023) of the health information needs and information seeking behaviour of adolescents ( n = 469) in Croatia. Martinović et al report that almost 30% of adolescents in this study use the Internet as their main non‐personal source of health information (29.8%), but consider their parents the most reliable personal source of health information (72.0%).…”