Health Information Literacy and Competencies of Information Age Students
Author Information
Author(s): Lana Ivanitskaya, Irene O’Boyle, Anne Marie Casey
Primary Institution: Central Michigan University
Hypothesis
How proficient are university students at finding and evaluating health-related information?
Conclusion
Many students believe their research skills are good or excellent, but they struggle with advanced information searches and evaluating the trustworthiness of health-related websites.
Supporting Evidence
- 89% of students understood that a one-keyword search is likely to return too many documents.
- Only 50% of respondents could identify the most trustworthy website among questionable options.
- Self-reported skills were weakly correlated with actual skill level.
Takeaway
Students think they are good at finding health information, but many can't tell if a website is trustworthy or how to search effectively.
Methodology
An interactive 56-item online assessment was used to measure health information competencies among university students.
Potential Biases
Self-reported skills may not accurately reflect actual competencies.
Limitations
The sample was limited to students from a single Midwestern university, which may not represent the broader population.
Participant Demographics
Most respondents were female (77%) and aged 18-23 (95%), with a majority not holding a bachelor's degree.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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