The Relationship between Cyberchondria and Information Literacy among the Students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences

The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between Cyberchondria and information literacy among the students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences in 2022. The method of implementation of this research was descriptive-analytical of cross-sectional type, and to collect information Yazdani information literacy questionnaires (2012) and Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS) were used. The findings showed a negative and significant relationship between Cyberchondria and students' information literacy; Also, the examination of the relationship between the five dimensions of information literacy and the Cyberchondria of students showed that the relationship between each of these dimensions with the level of illness is negative and significant. It was also a negative and significant relationship between the age variable and Cyberchondria of students. It means that as the age of the students increases, their Cyberchondria decrease. However, no significant relationship was observed between other demographic variables (educational level, marital status, and economic status) and the Cyberchondria of students. Among other findings of this research, we can mention the lack of significant difference between the average score of Cyberchondria between women and men. The results of this study showed an average to a high level of Cyberchondria among students. Considering the negative and significant relationship between information literacy and Cyberchondria, it is recommended to promote information literacy through educational workshops and includes this important topic in students' curricula.