title: Health information-seeking in the digital age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors examined the sources of health information among first-year university students and whether the predictors of information-seeking varied by information source.
  
  
  METHODS
  First-year students in a required course at a midwestern public university were eligible to participate, and 82% (n = 1,060) completed the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students completed a survey questionnaire regarding information-seeking behaviors and Internet uses in domains including health. The authors used regression analyses to examine predictors of source-specific health information-seeking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Young women are much more likely than young men to seek health information. The characteristics associated with looking online for health information are different than those for using other information sources, and students who look online for health information also report greater use of other information sources.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the Internet is an important source of health information for students, health professionals should be aware that not all students equally utilize this resource.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA. c-percheski@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Percheski
authors.forename: Eszter
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hargittai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult