RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Understanding the health information needs of adolescents is the first step towards providing them with relevant information to aid them in their decision making regarding health issues. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to assess adolescents' needs, perceptions and sources of health information. METHODS: Four hundred sixty-nine high school students in Osijek, Croatia, participated in this study by answering a questionnaire. The collected data were analysed using basic frequency and non-parametric statistical methods. RESULTS: The most popular health topics identified by adolescents in our study were nutrition, diseases, depression, relationships, sexual intercourse and alcohol. Adolescents consider their parents the most reliable personal source of health information (72.0%), while they perceive the Internet as the main non-personal source of health information (29.8%). Adolescents wish to get more education about health issues at school (54.4%). Significant gender differences were found in adolescents' needs, perceptions and sources of health information. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to provide adolescents with systematic institutional health education and improve health advisory services and library/information services to assist adolescents in locating health information and resolving their health related questions.
Asunto(s)
Educación en Salud , Conducta en la Búsqueda de Información , Humanos , Adolescente , Croacia , Factores Sexuales , Instituciones AcadémicasRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Rare disease patients find independent health information seeking necessary due to the general lack of knowledge on rare diseases and inadequate information provision by health care professionals. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe distinctive aspects of health information behaviour of rare disease patients and specific challenges they face when seeking health information. METHODS: A qualitative research approach was employed including semi-structured interviews that were analysed using thematic analysis. Fifteen respondents suffering from three different rare diseases participated in the study. RESULTS: Health information behaviour of rare disease patients is characterised by independent and continuous health information seeking and sharing. Connecting with other patients and getting realistic insight into the condition after diagnosis, advice for everyday life, comfort and hope and confirmation that their symptoms are 'normal' are of particular importance. Lack of specific advice for daily life, inaccessible new knowledge, lack of information about drugs and encountering severe health information are common challenges patients face due to insufficient support from health care professionals. CONCLUSION: Health information seeking and sharing are important aspects of rare disease patients' everyday life. Challenges they face could be overcome in cooperation with patient support groups, health care professionals and health information professionals.