The Internet Use for Health Information Seeking among Ghanaian University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Osei Asibey B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5684546 | biostudies-literature | 2017
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
The Internet Use for Health Information Seeking among Ghanaian University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Osei Asibey Benedict B Agyemang Seth S Boakye Dankwah Augustina A
International journal of telemedicine and applications 20171031
The aim of the study was to investigate university students' use of the Internet for health purpose in the Ghanaian context. The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional design. A total of 650 out of 740 students selected from 3 different universities participated, giving a response rate of 87.7% (650/740). Data were obtained using questionnaires and frequency and percentages were used to analyze data. The results show that university students are active users of the Internet as 78.3% (509/ ...[more]
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Project description:University student years are a particularly influential period, during which time students may adopt negative behaviours that set the precedent for health outcomes in later years. This study utilised a newly digitised health survey implemented during health screening at a university in Singapore to capture student health data. The aim of this study was to analyze the health status of this Asian university student population. A total of 535 students were included in the cohort, and a cross-sectional analysis of student health was completed. Areas of concern were highlighted in student's body weight, visual acuity, and binge drinking. A large proportion of students were underweight (body mass index (BMI) < 18.5)-18.9% of females and 10.6% of males-and 7% of males were obese (BMI > 30). Although the overall prevalence of alcohol use was low in this study population, 9% of females and 8% of males who consumed alcohol had hazardous drinking habits. Around 16% of these students (male and female combined) typically drank 3-4 alcoholic drinks each occasion. The prevalence of mental health conditions reported was very low (<1%). This study evaluated the results from a digitised health survey implemented into student health screening to capture a comprehensive health history. The results reveal potential student health concerns and offer the opportunity to provide more targeted student health campaigns to address these.
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Project description:BACKGROUND:Globally, the mental health help-seeking behavior of university students is reported to be poor; less than one-third of university students with common mental disorders (CMDs) report having sought help from formal sources. Failure to seek treatment is associated with prolonged disability and poor mental health outcomes, including suicide. In Ethiopia, little is known about the help-seeking behavior of university students for CMDs. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of help seeking, and sources of help sought by Jimma University undergraduate students with CMDs. METHOD:Seven hundred and sixty students were selected to participate in this cross-sectional study using multi-stage sampling. Sources of help were identified using the Actual Help-Seeking Questionnaire. CMDs were assessed using the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Binary logistic regression analysis was used for both univariate and multivariable analysis. RESULTS:Of the sampled students, 58.4% were found to have current CMDs. Of those with current CMDs, 78.4% had sought help for their problems. The majority (83.8%) of participants who sought help did so from informal sources. Compared to students who had 'very good' overall levels of satisfaction with life, those who had 'good', 'fair', and 'poor or very poor' overall level of satisfaction with life were less likely to seek help (p-value = 0.021, 0.014, and 0.011, respectively). Lastly, having no previous history of help-seeking was significantly associated with seeking help for CMDs (p-value<0.001). CONCLUSION:More than half of Jimma University students were found to have a high risk of CMDs and the majority of those with CMDs sought help from informal sources. Future studies are needed to explore the barriers of seeking help from formal resources, and the effects of not receiving help from formal sources for CMDs symptoms.
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