Use and Need of Health and Nutrition Information on the Computer among University Students

Kang, Nam-Mi; Hyun, Tai-Sun

The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education 1998;4(1):7-14.
Published online June 30, 1998.

Kang Nam-Mi;Hyun Tai-Sun;

¹Department of Nursing, Konkuk University
²Department of Food and Nutrition, Chungbuk National University

대학생의 컴퓨터를 통한 건강 및 영양정보의 이용실태 및 요구도

강남미, 현태선

¹건국대학교 의과대학 간호학과
²충북대학교 생활과학대학 식품영양학과

Abstract

The use and need of health and nutrition information on the PC communication and internet among university students at Chungbuk area were investigated. The data from 167 students from two different universities were collected and analyzed from March to May, 1998. The results are as follows. 1. Male students were 27.5% and female students were 72.5%. 2. Sixty percent and 74.7% of the students had ever used PC communication and internet, respectively. Higher proportions of male students had experiences in PC communication and internet use than fe male students. The main reasons to use PC communication and internet were 1)to obtain information and knowledge(67.4%) 2)to enjoy(10.5%), 3)to make friends or to talk(5.3%) 3. About 40% of the experienced students of the PC communication of internet obtained health or nutrition information. However, only 25% of the experienced students obtained the nutrition information from the internet. Only 10% of the students agreed that the information from the PC communication and internet was very useful. The reasons not to use the information from the PC communication and internet were 'lack of expertise of the information' and 'long response time'. Many students thought that the information provided through the computer should be improved in terms of variety and applicability to the real situation. 4. Among the 33 topics of the health and nutrition information given on the questionnaire, both male and female students had the greatest interest in stress management. The next topics in which female students had interests were diet for weight control, health problems related to menstration, dietary assessment, and cancer prevention. In male students, dietary assessment, infant nutrition management, hypertention diet were the main interests. On the basis of these results an information system on health and nutrition management during the lifecycle for Korean women will be constructed on the internet.

Key Words: Computer, PC communication, Internet, Health, Nutrition Information