Abstract:
Social media serves as a
valuable repository of healthcare information, holding
significant potential for enhancing healthcare quality. This
study aims to investigate how graduate students perceive
and utilize health-related information from social media to
manage their health. Objective: The research explores
methods, through which graduate students discover and
employ health-related information from social media for
personal healthcare management, while also examining
their perceptions. Methods: A cross-sectional study design
was adopted, involving a sample size of 282 students from
various universities in Ethiopia, including Jimma,
Mizan-Teppi, Adama, and Bonga. Data were collected and
entered into Microsoft Excel, and statistical analysis was
performed using SPSS version 20. Independent variables
with a p-value of <0.05 were deemed statistically
significant. Results: The data analysis demonstrated that
respondents aged 25 to 30 years were approximately four
times more likely (OR 3.972, 95% CI [2.342-6.738]) to
utilize social media for managing chronic diseases, while
those aged 31 to 35 years were nearly two times more
likely (OR 1.814, 95% CI [1.094-3.009]). However,
overall, students showed limited use of social media to
obtain information about chronic diseases. Facebook
emerged as the preferred platform among respondents for
accessing healthcare content related to diet advice and
walking techniques. Conclusion: The findings indicate
that students use social media primarily in a constrained
manner to acquire information about chronic diseases.
Although Facebook is favored for specific healthcare
content, other aspects of personal health management
through social media require more attention and
encouragement.
