The Influence Of The Internet On Health Seeking Behaviour Of Nursing Mothers In Ekiti State, Nigeria

The use of internet services to investigate health-related issues is now on the increase among nursing mothers in Nigeria; however, the quality of health information provided on various online sites is questionable. Unfortunately, very little studies have been conduced to explore the influence the internet has on the health seeking behaviour of nursing mothers in Nigeria. This study investigates the influence of the internet on health seeking behaviours of nursing mothers and examines internet‟s influence on their health seeking behaviour. A standardized 10-question survey on Internet use and health seeking behaviour was given to 150 nursing mothers in Ekiti State. It was found that out of 142 responses received, 109 nursing mothers (76.7%) reported using the Internet to find health information. 105 nursing mothers (96.3%) out of the 109 consult the internet for answers to their babies‟ health problems before consulting a doctor or a care giver. 81.6% of the nursing mothers adhere to the online physician‟s advice thereby leading to self medication. An aggregate of 101 (92.6%) nursing mothers submitted that the internet influences their health seeking decisions. Conclusively, the tests of hypothesis show a significant relationship between the use of internet and health seeking behaviours of nursing mothers and also, between the use of internet and self medication among them