Bridging the health information gap among undergraduate university students: The role of academic libraries

22 January, 2025

Dear HIFA colleagues,

It's interesting and perhaps paradoxical that two of the leading journals on information research are behind paywalls: Health Information and Libraries Journal and Information Development.

The full text of this new paper in Health Information and Libraries Journal is not available to most of us.

Bridging the health information gap among undergraduate university students: The role of academic libraries

Paulina Nana Yaa Kwafoa MPhil, Christopher K. Filson PhD, Gloria Tachie-Donkor PhD, Diana Atuase PhD, Paul Nunekpeku MSc

First published: 13 January 2025 https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12563

Abstract

Background

Although university students are young and seem generally healthy, they do have health information needs that affect their academic work. Some university healthcare services and academic libraries collaborated during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide health information to students.

Aims/Objectives

The study explored the health information gap among undergraduate students in universities in Ghana.

Methodology

The study involved 382 students from the University of Cape Coast, the University of Ghana, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, including nine librarians and six university health professionals. Respondents for the study were chosen using stratified sampling and purposeful sampling techniques. A questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide were used to collect the data.

Results

The study revealed limited access to health information for undergraduate students. Male and female students had similar high priorities (personal hygiene, disease prevention, healthy living, mental health) but reproductive health information was mostly a priority for female students.

Discussion

Inadequate access to health information among undergraduate students may pose a threat to avoidable health risks and academic productivity.

Conclusion

Based on the findings, a functional Collaborative Health Information Model for Academic Libraries and University Healthcare Systems is proposed to address undergraduate students' health information needs.

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HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org