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Health Information Seeking Among University Students Before and During the Corona Crisis—Findings From Germany

Bibliographic Data

ID22089340
AuthorsMarkus Schafer (0000-0002-0088-7022, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, corresponding author), Birgit Stark (0000-0001-9217-4515, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Antonia M Werner (0000-0002-4150-354X, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Ana N Tibubos (0000-0003-4284-0019, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Jennifer L Reichel (0000-0003-4018-5583, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Daniel Pfirrmann (0000-0002-4786-6843, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Dennis Edelmann (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Sebastian Heller (0000-0002-7413-1252, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Lina M Mülder (0000-0002-2288-0593, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Thomas Rigotti (0000-0001-9189-0018, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Stephan Letzel (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Pavel Dietz (0000-0002-8390-0594, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz)
Year2021
Volume8
Pages616603-616603
Publication date2021-01-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2020.616603
PMID33585388
OpenAlexW3122201050
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited24

Health information-seeking behavior is the process of gathering information about health and disease and can be influential for health-related perception and behavior. University students are an important target group for prevention and health promotion and largely belong to an age group that is considered to play a leading role in propagating the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Germany. The paper deals with students' health information-seeking behavior before and during the corona crisis, aiming to give insights into its determinants and implications. Using the example of a large German comprehensive university and based on two cross-sectional surveys in the summer of 2019 ( n = 4,351) and 2020 ( n = 3,066), we investigate which information channels students use for health information, how information seeking changes during the course of the pandemic, and to what extent information seeking is associated with risk perception and risk behavior. For a subsample of participants that participated in both surveys ( n = 443), we also trace developments at the individual level through a longitudinal analysis. The results show that students' health information seeking takes place primarily online and changed markedly during the corona crisis. The comparatively high relevance of sources that are largely based on unchecked user-generated content raises the concern whether students' health information-seeking behavior guarantees the necessary quality and reliability of health information. Significant correlations between the intensity of corona-related information seeking, risk perception, and actual risk behavior were found

Astrobiology · Disease · Medical education · Pathology · Physics · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Medicine · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Psychology · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy

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Unique citing works11
Citations per year2,2
Citation span2021 - 2025 (5)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 11
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