Awareness and Usage of Internet-based Health Information for Self-Care in Lagos state, Nigeria: Implications for Healthcare Improvement

Abstract

Objective: This work investigated the citizens’ awareness, pattern of usage and factors influencing use of the Internet for health information for self-care given that healthcare in the country is generally inadequate. Methodology: A questionnaire-based assessment of 205 individuals selected randomly was carried out. The reliability of the data was measured using the Cronbach’s alpha to determine the consistency of the constructs and SPSS version 15 data analysis software was used for the analysis. Results and Conclusion: The results indicate that 61% of the participants use the Internet for self-care and are aware of the availability of health information on the Internet. The participants also reported to have used the Internet for communication, social networking, and research and banking purposes. The result also validated perceived ease of use, compatibility, Internet self-efficacy, and technical support and training as factors to consider in using the Internet for self-care.