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ERIC Number: EJ1095589
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0146-3934
EISSN: N/A
Google It!: Urban Community College Students' Use of the Internet to Obtain Self-Care and Personal Health Information
Rennis, Lesley; McNamara, Gloria; Seidel, Erica; Shneyderman, Yuliya
College Student Journal, v49 n3 p414-426 Fall 2015
Background: As electronic resources increasingly play a major role in consumer health, eHealth literacy has emerged as a valuable tool to improve and enhance health knowledge and behavior. Yet for some populations, access to health information alone does not lead to better health practices or outcomes. Low income populations increasingly rely on ehealth information but may lack the knowledge and skills to interpret and evaluate the information. Results: Students are active users of the Internet and search the web for a variety of personal health needs. In fact, the Internet was the students' most often consulted health information source. Students reported searching the Internet to identify self-care strategies, alternative therapies, and information related to nutrition and fitness. Students felt the Internet empowered their health care decision making. However, students also reported skepticism related to the validity of health related information and failed to identify reliable strategies for evaluating the credibility of Internet health resources. Conclusion: Although digital media offers new opportunities to address health disparities and increase health literacy among urban community college students, they should be given the opportunity to process eHealth information at a deeper level and taught how to effectively evaluate health information found on the Web.
Project Innovation, Inc. P.O. Box 8508 Spring Hill Station, Mobile, AL 36689-0508. Tel: 251-343-1878; Fax: 251-343-1878; Web site: http://www.projectinnovation.biz/csj.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A