Online health information-seeking behaviour and mental well-being among Finnish higher education students during COVID-19




Rouvinen Hanna, Turunen Hannele, Lindfors Pirjo, Kinnunen Jaana M., Rimpelä Arja, Koivusilta Leena, Kulmala Markus, Dadaczynski Kevin, Okan Orkan, Sormunen Marjorita

PublisherOxford University Press

Oxford

2023

Health Promotion International

daad143

38

6

1460-2245

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daad143

https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daad143

https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/181593218



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.


Last updated on 2025-27-03 at 21:59