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Rouvinen H, Turunen H, Lindfors P, Kinnunen JM, Rimpelä A, Koivusilta L, Kulmala M, Dadaczynski K, Okan O, Sormunen M. Online health information-seeking behaviour and mental well-being among Finnish higher education students during COVID-19. Health Promot Int 2023; 38:daad143. [PMID: 37935171 PMCID: PMC10635413 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Online health information-seeking behaviour has increased since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic in March 2020. This study examined whether health-related information on COVID-19 searched on the internet was associated with mental well-being among higher education students. A cross-sectional internet survey was conducted among 18- to 34-year-old students in Finland (N = 2976; mean age 24.61 years and median 24) in the spring of 2020. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric H tests, and a two-way ANOVA. The results indicated that most students (86% of females, 82% of males) used the internet to search for information on COVID-19. Students' self-perceived abilities to determine the relevance of online information on COVID-19 were associated with mental well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Rouvinen
- Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonrinne 3, Canthia Building, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Hannele Turunen
- Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonrinne 3, Canthia Building, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
- Wellbeing Services County of North Savo, PO Box 1711, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Pirjo Lindfors
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Unit of Health Sciences, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Jaana M Kinnunen
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Unit of Health Sciences, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Arja Rimpelä
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Unit of Health Sciences, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön katu 34, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
- Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Tampere University Hospital, Elämänaukio 2, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Leena Koivusilta
- Department of Social Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Turku, FI-20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Markus Kulmala
- Research Centre for Health Promotion, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Keskussairaalankatu 4, Building Liikunta (L), PO Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Kevin Dadaczynski
- Department of Health Science, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Fulda, Germany
- Centre for Applied Health Science, Leuphana University, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Orkan Okan
- Center for Health and Medicine in Society and Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Childhood and Adolescence, Department of Health and Sport Sciences, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marjorita Sormunen
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonrinne 3, Canthia building, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
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