Use of the internet as a source of health information by Spanish adolescents

Abstract

BackgroundThe Internet is a fundamental part of the daily life of adolescents, they consider it as a safe and confidential source of information on health matters. The aims is to describe the experience of Spanish adolescents searching for health information on the Internet.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 811 school-age adolescents in Granada was carried out. An adapted and piloted questionnaire was used which was controlled by trained personnel. Sociodemographic and health variables were included together with those concerning the conditions governing access to and use of information and communication technologies (ICT).Results811 adolescents were surveyed (99.38% response rate), mean age was 17 years old. Of these, 88% used the Internet; 57.5% used it on a daily or weekly basis and 38.7% used it occasionally. Nearly half the sample group (55.7%) stated that they used the Internet to search for health-related information. The main problems reported in the search for e-health were the ignorance of good web pages (54.8%) and the lack of confidence or search skills (23.2%).ConclusionsIn conclusion, it seems plausible to claim that websites designed and managed by health services should have a predominant position among interventions specifically addressed to young people.

Teenagers and the Use of New Technologies (Ict) for Health Information

“…Teenagers are exposed to health warning messages accidentally, by change, when accessing certain Internet websites or when connecting to social networks. In this respect, the data of present research is similar to recent findings about adolescents health-seeking behaviours, especially in matters related to sexual diseases, physical exercises, nutrition and weight maintenance (Jiménez-Pernett et al, 2010, Gray et al, 2005, Skinner et al 2003. Searching on the Internet of certain medical terms and of health related topics is rather a response to factors that threaten the health condition, such as the presence of physical symptoms that are overwhelming or stressful.…”

Effect of internet use for health information and internet addiction on adolescents female high school’ health lifestyle

“…[26] Two cross-sectional studies were conducted to discover adolescents' experience with using the Internet to seek out (or gather) health information. One study, [27] investigated a Catholic adolescent group while Jiménez-Pernett, et al [1] investigated a sample of Spanish adolescents. Their results were consistent, as they found that most of the adolescents are satisfied and at ease with using the Internet to get health information about topics such as skin care, cosmetics, body image, diet habits, and exercise.…”

“…The literature indicated that the most frequently searched topics for health care on the Internet among adolescents were diet habits, exercise, body image, cosmetics, and skin care. [1,27] A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of health interventions using the Internet on health behavioral changes included 85 studies with a total of 43,236 participants from different populations. The study revealed that interventions using the Internet do have a small but significant effect on physical activity, dietary behavior, and alcohol consumption.…”

“…[1] In fact, using the Internet to gather health information is considered predictive of a healthy lifestyle. [2] Reports have shown that the general American population uses the Internet to attain health information regarding diagnosis and medical consultation, a practice which may ultimately lead to the delay or even cancellation of medical appointments.…”

Factors Affecting Electronic Health Information Needs in Primary Care Patients

“…However, not all Internet users use it for health-related information searches. 5,12,[14][15][16][17] Some studies showed the most frequent electronic health-related information seekers are young and middle-aged Internet users, 5,14,17,18 people with higher education, 5,12,14,17-19 the middle to high income group, 12,20 females, 5,19,20 employed, 14 and patients with chronic diseases. 12,14,16,17,19 Our multivariate logistic regression model demonstrated electronic health informationseeking behavior in those who were female patients, having chronic disease, living as a couple, having e-health service experience, being a daily Internet user, and having a longer duration of Internet use per day.…”