Young people turn to the Internet for health information - President's Message - Brief Article

AORN Journal,  March, 2002  

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A national survey conducted by the Henry Kaiser Family Foundation has found that a large number of people between 15 and 24 years of age are using the Internet to find health information, according to a Dec 11, 2001, news release from the foundation. Of the 1,209 participants contacted through a random sample telephone survey, 68% have searched for health information online, and 25% of those stated they receive "a lot" of health information from the Internet. The report includes the following findings.

* Half of the respondents have searched the Internet for information about a specific disease.

* Four in ten participants have used the Internet to find information on sexual health topics such as pregnancy, birth control, and sexually transmitted diseases. Other popular health topics researched include weight issues, mental health, drugs and alcohol, and violence.

* More than one-third of the respondents reported having changed their own behavior because of health information they found online.

* The majority of participants believe that confidentiality is "very important" when researching health topics, and three-quarters of participants believe the Internet provides that confidentiality.

Though 94% of those researching health topics online report their findings are "useful" or "very useful," many are skeptical about the quality of information they are receiving, according to the release. Only 17% say they trust information received from the Internet "a lot," compared to 85% who trust information from physicians, 68% who trust information from their parents, and 30% who trust information from television news. Though 73% of respondents believe it is important to know who provides the online information, only 29% had checked the source of the information the last time they searched for health information on the Internet.

Kaiser Family Foundation Survey: More Young People Going Online for Health (news release, New York: Henry Kaiser Family Foundation, Dec 11, 2001) http://www.prnmedia.com/cgi-bin/archive?ACCT=107&ID=779102 (accessed 11 Dec 2001).

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