Internet utilization for health information and its associated factors among undergraduate university students in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study
Background: Among currently available technologies, only the Internet has the potential to deliver universal access to up-to-date health care information. This study aimed to assess the status of Internet utilization to access health information and its associated factors among university students i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Informatics in Medicine Unlocked |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352914822002076 |
| _version_ | 1811211558176423936 |
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| author | Mintesnot Hawaze Derseh Kassahun Dessie Gashu Tekeba Meshesha Baye Ashenafi Abebe Getachew Wolde Desta Samuel Umuro Mequannent Sharew Melaku Sisay Maru Wubante Zelalem Tadesse Nahom Chernet Masresha Derese Tegegne |
| author_facet | Mintesnot Hawaze Derseh Kassahun Dessie Gashu Tekeba Meshesha Baye Ashenafi Abebe Getachew Wolde Desta Samuel Umuro Mequannent Sharew Melaku Sisay Maru Wubante Zelalem Tadesse Nahom Chernet Masresha Derese Tegegne |
| author_sort | Mintesnot Hawaze Derseh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Among currently available technologies, only the Internet has the potential to deliver universal access to up-to-date health care information. This study aimed to assess the status of Internet utilization to access health information and its associated factors among university students in Ethiopia. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 845 undergraduate students selected by Stratified multi-stage sampling from 19 randomly chosen departments of Addis Ababa University. A pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were entered into EPI Info version 7 and exported to the SPSS version 23 for analysis. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between the study and outcome variables. Result: Almost all 761 (98.8%) university students have used the Internet. Among these, the overall proportion of Internet use for health information was 59.1% (95% CI: 55.5–62.7). Respondents with good eHealth literacy (AOR = 1.656, 95% CI: (1.143, 2.397), student's field of study (AOR = 0.025, 95% CI: (0.007, 0.087), year of study (AOR = 1.609, 95% CI: (1.130, 2.290), and owning computer device (AOR = 2.314, 95% CI: (1.392, 3.844) were found to be significantly associated with utilization of Internet for health information. Conclusion: This study confirms that nearly two-thirds of undergraduate university students use the Internet to access health information. eHealth literacy, the field of study, year of study, and ownership of electronic devices were significant predictors for Internet use for accessing health information. As a result, it is recommended that university students in Ethiopia have access to electronic devices and that eHealth literacy be promoted to use the Internet as a source of health information effectively. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T05:14:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7e95c38924044fad99e246f599c018d1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-9148 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T05:14:47Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Informatics in Medicine Unlocked |
| spelling | doaj.art-7e95c38924044fad99e246f599c018d12022-12-22T03:46:39ZengElsevierInformatics in Medicine Unlocked2352-91482022-01-0132101071Internet utilization for health information and its associated factors among undergraduate university students in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional studyMintesnot Hawaze Derseh0Kassahun Dessie Gashu1Tekeba Meshesha2Baye Ashenafi3Abebe Getachew Wolde4Desta Samuel Umuro5Mequannent Sharew Melaku6Sisay Maru Wubante7Zelalem Tadesse8Nahom Chernet9Masresha Derese Tegegne10Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Departement of Public Health Emergency Management center, EthiopiaDepartment of Health Informatics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaDepartment of Health Informatics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaEthiopian Public Health Institute, Department of Bacterial Parasitic and Zoonotic Disease Research, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaEthiopian Public Health Institute, Department of Bacterial Parasitic and Zoonotic Disease Research, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDepartment of Public Health, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDepartment of Health Informatics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaDepartment of Health Informatics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaDepartment of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wolkite University, Wolkite, EthiopiaDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Ambo University, Ambo, EthiopiaDepartment of Health Informatics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; Corresponding author. Department of Health Informatics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.Background: Among currently available technologies, only the Internet has the potential to deliver universal access to up-to-date health care information. This study aimed to assess the status of Internet utilization to access health information and its associated factors among university students in Ethiopia. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 845 undergraduate students selected by Stratified multi-stage sampling from 19 randomly chosen departments of Addis Ababa University. A pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were entered into EPI Info version 7 and exported to the SPSS version 23 for analysis. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between the study and outcome variables. Result: Almost all 761 (98.8%) university students have used the Internet. Among these, the overall proportion of Internet use for health information was 59.1% (95% CI: 55.5–62.7). Respondents with good eHealth literacy (AOR = 1.656, 95% CI: (1.143, 2.397), student's field of study (AOR = 0.025, 95% CI: (0.007, 0.087), year of study (AOR = 1.609, 95% CI: (1.130, 2.290), and owning computer device (AOR = 2.314, 95% CI: (1.392, 3.844) were found to be significantly associated with utilization of Internet for health information. Conclusion: This study confirms that nearly two-thirds of undergraduate university students use the Internet to access health information. eHealth literacy, the field of study, year of study, and ownership of electronic devices were significant predictors for Internet use for accessing health information. As a result, it is recommended that university students in Ethiopia have access to electronic devices and that eHealth literacy be promoted to use the Internet as a source of health information effectively.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352914822002076InternetUtilizationHealth informationUniversity studentEthiopia |
| spellingShingle | Mintesnot Hawaze Derseh Kassahun Dessie Gashu Tekeba Meshesha Baye Ashenafi Abebe Getachew Wolde Desta Samuel Umuro Mequannent Sharew Melaku Sisay Maru Wubante Zelalem Tadesse Nahom Chernet Masresha Derese Tegegne Internet utilization for health information and its associated factors among undergraduate university students in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study Informatics in Medicine Unlocked Internet Utilization Health information University student Ethiopia |
| title | Internet utilization for health information and its associated factors among undergraduate university students in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Internet utilization for health information and its associated factors among undergraduate university students in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Internet utilization for health information and its associated factors among undergraduate university students in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Internet utilization for health information and its associated factors among undergraduate university students in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Internet utilization for health information and its associated factors among undergraduate university students in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | internet utilization for health information and its associated factors among undergraduate university students in ethiopia a cross sectional study |
| topic | Internet Utilization Health information University student Ethiopia |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352914822002076 |
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