Abstract

PEREZ CABREJOS, Ruth Gissela; PACHAS RAMOS, Allinson Marina; QUISPE ALMEIDA, José Damián  and  HUALLANCA CARBAJAL, José Jonathan. Cyberchondria and self-medication in university students. Conrado [online]. 2023, vol.19, n.91, pp. 388-396.  Epub Apr 30, 2023. ISSN 1990-8644.

Anxiety about health in university students is present especially when viral processes are going on, but it is shown through the information that is handled on the internet and the use of technological devices that are contributing to their self-medication. That is why we seek to determine the relationship between cyberchondria and self-medication among university students. The results were requested from a sample of 297 students belonging to two professional schools: Human Medicine (n=178) and Computer Engineering (n=119) and the bivariate analysis was performed. The results found that there is a statistically significant association between Cyberchondria and Self-medication, with a chi2 68.096 and a p value less than 0.05, in addition 78.1% of the students reported self-medication at times, 50.5% of the students presented cyberchondria with a moderate level, and 43.1% of the students presented a moderate level of cyberchondria, sometimes self-medicating. Policies that contribute to the information that is shared through the Internet must be urgently implemented, improve information filter systems so that students can know and verify the legitimacy of the sources and the problem that self-medicating generates.

Keywords : Cyberchondria; Self-medication; Internet; Technological devices; Health anxiety.

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