Health Information Seeking Behavior of Graduate Students Linked to Corona Virus at Qom University

Health information on diseases could help prevent the spread and the treatment and is the most vital needs of people in daily life. One health issue that has plagued the world in recent years is the corona virus. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the health information behavior of graduate students at Qom University.

Applied descriptive survey method was used. Population was all 3000  graduate students at Qom University. Using Morgan table, sample of 300 students were seleted, out of which 200 studnts answered the questionnaires. Data was collected through the standard Lango questionnaire. Research hypotheses were scrutinized using independent t and one-way ANOVA. Age, gender, place of residence, income and information seeking behavior of graduate students  were investigated.

The most information sources were Internet, Social networks, TV and the family. while the least go to brochures and pamphlets. Althugh, graduate students could obtain corona information from social networks and Internet, nonetheless their active use of corona information is slightly more from traditional sources of television and radio. There was no significant relation of behavior variables in information retrieval, perception in information retrieval, interpersonal interaction in information retrieval, impact of information on disease, active retrieval of information and passive retrieval of information with regard to age, gender and place of residence of graduate students.

Results revealed that the students have health information literacy and could identify and use related health information. In spite of increasing use of new sources such as social networks and Internet, information obtained from traditional sources has been more trusted and used. Non of the variables of gender, age, income and place of residence had any effect on health information seeking behavior of students. All subjects had the same information seeking behavior.