Cyberchondria, which is the new disease of our age and defined as “internet search disease”, has been the subject of academic research. Interesting results were obtained in the research carried out by Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication in Istanbul. From the Department of New Media and Journalism, Dr. Faculty Member Aylin Tutgun Ünal said, “Cyberchondria, which is defined as the new disease of our age, was discussed in the study. The study, it was aimed to determine the level of cyberchondria and health literacy levels in terms of demographic characteristics of generations between the ages of 18-75 living in Istanbul and to investigate whether there is a significant relationship between them. The study is also important in that it is the first study on the relationship between health literacy and cyberchondria in our country.
Aylin Tutgun Unal: “It can have dangerous consequences”
Evaluating the results of the research conducted with Yücel Ekinci, a graduate student in New Media and Journalism and a health worker, Ünal stated that individuals who search the internet for symptoms of illness are worried about the thought of being sick, that they can misdiagnose/diagnose themselves and resort to wrong treatment methods without consulting specialists. recorded.
Aylin Tutgun Unal: “Precautions must be taken as soon as possible”
Noting that there has been an increase in internet use, especially during the epidemic period we are in, with the increase in the time spent at home, Dr. Faculty Member Aylin Tutgun Unal said:
“This situation has brought up a new problem in the field of health in the new media era, where communication and ways of doing business are transformed. On the other hand, the fact that this disorder is seen at a moderate level in all generations between the ages of 18 and 75 also reveals the extent of the danger. Within the scope of this research, 36.8% of people stated that they use drugs voluntarily without the advice of a physician, and 22% of them constantly searching for diseases on the internet, thinking that they have an undiagnosed disease, brings up a separate problem in the field of health. In both cases, the high level of cyberchondria revealed the necessity of taking precautions as soon as possible. The study also found that the level of health literacy is borderline/problematic in all generations, It is important to update the studies in this field as “digital health literacy” and ensure that they are applicable to all generations, especially to Generation Z, their families, and educators. A generation Z is coming, who is more confident in the health information they reach on the internet. Our research, using the disease research disease scale, revealed that the Z generation, who used the internet when they had symptoms/complaints, trusted the information on the internet more than their family doctor or specialist doctor. We can say that this situation is becoming more and more common. Everyone between the ages of 18-75, not just Generation Z, is at moderate risk.
1,196 people from 39 districts of Istanbul participated in the research. The number of female participants was 610 (51%) and the number of male participants was 586 (49%). 37 people (3.6%) from the Baby Boomer generation born between 1946-1964, 176 people from Generation X born between 1965-1979 (), 671 people from Generation Y (64.8%) born between 1980-1999, 151 people (.6) from the 18-20 age group of the Z generation born after or after the study participated in the study.
As the level of health literacy increases, the level of cyberchondria decreases
In the study, the relationship between the level of cyberchondria and the level of health literacy was found to be negative, that is, as the level of health literacy increased, the level of cyberchondria decreased.
