Health seeking behavior of the people and the pattern of their health related queries on Social media

Purushottam Adhikari

《第六屆亞洲健康識能國際會議》 預刊文章 Pp. 1-3

https://doi.org/10.6881/AHLA.201810.SP10

摘要

Introduction: Social media is emerging as strong medium of communication throughout the world in recent days. Availability of mobiles and internet easily has promoted the use of different social media sites including facebook much widely in Nepal too. Health seeking behavior of the people is reflected even on social media and they find it easier to ask their queries to the health professionals or health related platforms there. Materials and methods: This retrospective study has been carried out by analyzing the pattern of health related queries asked by the people through message on a facebook page of health news portal during November 2017 and January 2018. Results: Total 68 queries were asked during the study period. Among them 53 were males and 15 were females. The mean age is 28 years. About 17 % of people asking queries are residing abroad and majority of them being from Saudi Arabia. Most of the questions are related to medicine department. The most common query people are looking for is regarding mass per anum. It is followed by queries regarding itchy lesions over body and regarding abortion. Conclusion: People are utilizing facebook as an important means for seeking health related advices. Most of them are looking for the health advice that they hesitate to go for consultation to doctor directly. Similarly, those who have gone abroad for work find facebook as easy method for health consultation.

關鍵字

Social media ； Health ； facebook