Internet Use for Searching Information on Medicine and Common Cold Among Health Cluster Students at Universitas Gadjah Mada
Kanaya Rafitha Indira Jasmine, Prof. Dr. apt. Susi Ari Kristina, M.Kes.
2025 | Skripsi | FARMASI
With
over 185 million internet users in Indonesia, internet access has significantly
influenced how health students seek health-related information. The internet
has become a primary tool for accessing knowledge about medicine and diseases,
including the common cold. This study aims to explore the characteristics of
individuals who seek information online related to common cold and its medicine,
as well as the specific types of information they look for.
A
descriptive quantitative approach was employed, utilizing a cross-sectional
design. The study involved 98 undergraduate and professional students of health
cluster Universitas Gadjah Mada students from the Faculty of Medicine, Public
Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK), Dentistry, and Pharmacy at Universitas Gadjah
Mada, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected through an
online questionnaire and analyzed descriptively using SPSS software to evaluate
the demographic characteristics and experiences on common cold, preferred
platforms, frequency internet use for health, types of health information
searched, and factors contributing to online searching.
The
results show that most respondents were female (69.4%), aged between 21–23
years (67.4%), and from the Faculty of Pharmacy (53.1%). Regarding education
level, the majority were bachelor’s degree students (82.7%). Monthly spending
predominantly ranged between Rp. 1,000,000 and Rp. 2,000,000 (54.1%). %). In
terms of marital status, the vast majority of respondents were single ( 98%). Their
health status was predominantly good (53%). Halodoc was identified as the most
frequently accessed platform (63.3%), with general health topics being the most
searched (mean score 3.53, SD = 0.66). For common cold-related information,
most students searched for both medicine and disease information (72.4%). The
top-searched category for medicine was the names of medicines (21.8%), while
the most common search for disease-related information focused on the causes of
the disease (22.6%). The primary drivers for using the internet to search for
health information were ease of access (mean 3.78, SD = 0.42) and free
availability (mean 3.78, SD = 0.49). The lowest-rated reason for online
searching was a preference for consulting healthcare professionals over
searching online (mean 2.08, SD = 0.97).
This
study highlights the increasing reliance on internet-based health resources
among students and underscores the importance of improving the credibility and
accessibility of online platforms. These findings can provide valuable insights
for pharmaceutical companies to optimize their marketing strategies for common
cold treatments and for governments to design effective health communication
strategies on preferred websites.
With
over 185 million internet users in Indonesia, internet access has significantly
influenced how health students seek health-related information. The internet
has become a primary tool for accessing knowledge about medicine and diseases,
including the common cold. This study aims to explore the characteristics of
individuals who seek information online related to common cold and its medicine,
as well as the specific types of information they look for.
A
descriptive quantitative approach was employed, utilizing a cross-sectional
design. The study involved 98 undergraduate and professional students of health
cluster Universitas Gadjah Mada students from the Faculty of Medicine, Public
Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK), Dentistry, and Pharmacy at Universitas Gadjah
Mada, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected through an
online questionnaire and analyzed descriptively using SPSS software to evaluate
the demographic characteristics and experiences on common cold, preferred
platforms, frequency internet use for health, types of health information
searched, and factors contributing to online searching.
The
results show that most respondents were female (69.4%), aged between 21–23
years (67.4%), and from the Faculty of Pharmacy (53.1%). Regarding education
level, the majority were bachelor’s degree students (82.7%). Monthly spending
predominantly ranged between Rp. 1,000,000 and Rp. 2,000,000 (54.1%). %). In
terms of marital status, the vast majority of respondents were single ( 98%). Their
health status was predominantly good (53%). Halodoc was identified as the most
frequently accessed platform (63.3%), with general health topics being the most
searched (mean score 3.53, SD = 0.66). For common cold-related information,
most students searched for both medicine and disease information (72.4%). The
top-searched category for medicine was the names of medicines (21.8%), while
the most common search for disease-related information focused on the causes of
the disease (22.6%). The primary drivers for using the internet to search for
health information were ease of access (mean 3.78, SD = 0.42) and free
availability (mean 3.78, SD = 0.49). The lowest-rated reason for online
searching was a preference for consulting healthcare professionals over
searching online (mean 2.08, SD = 0.97).
This
study highlights the increasing reliance on internet-based health resources
among students and underscores the importance of improving the credibility and
accessibility of online platforms. These findings can provide valuable insights
for pharmaceutical companies to optimize their marketing strategies for common
cold treatments and for governments to design effective health communication
strategies on preferred websites.
Kata Kunci : Internet use, Health information, Common cold, Medicine Searched, Health Cluster, Online platforms, Health Communication