Health Literacy and Internet Health Information Use among In-school Adolescents in Osun State, South-West, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

There has been concern about adolescent online experience being hampered by their level of health literacy skills. This study was conducted to determine the health literacy experience of in-school adolescents in Osun State, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional survey of 1,200 in-school adolescents in senior secondary school was undertaken. Out of the 1,186 analyzable questionnaires, only 447 (37.7%) students possessed adequate health literacy skills. The majority (747, 63.0%) used Internet health information weekly. The health issues on nutrition, body size, and sexuality were the most sought out information on the Internet. There is a statistically significant relationship between health literacy skill level and Internet health information use.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescents
• health information use
• health literacy
• in-school adolescents
• Internet
• Nigeria

Acknowledgements

We sincerely appreciate the Permanent Secretary, Osun State Ministry of Education who gave permission for the use of public and private owned secondary schools in Osun State for the study. We also appreciate the Director, Research and Statistics Department of the Osun State Ministry of Education for providing statistical data on current student enrolment in senior secondary schools in Osun State. We also thank Mrs. Funke Adeyeye, Director of Schools and Special Education for her role as facilitator. Our sincere gratitude goes to all the principals and students of the 12 schools who participated in the survey.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Iwok N. Shabi

Iwok N. Shabi, B.Sc., PGDE, MLIS ([email protected]) is Medical Librarian, Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and a PhD student at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Fadekemi O. Oyewusi

Fadekemi O. Oyewusi, BA, MLS, PhD ([email protected]) is Senior Lecturer, Center for Educational Media Resource Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.