Resumen

VERGARA QUINTERO, María del Carmen et al. USE OF MASS MEDIA BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN MANIZALES. Hacia promoc. Salud [online]. 2009, vol.14, n.1, pp.124-138. ISSN 0121-7577.

Objective: the characterization of the use of mass media by university students in Manizales during 2008, in order to generate programs of media promotion and prevention to help improve young people’s lifestyle. Methodology: it is a descriptive study with a 13,247 student population. Probability sampling with a confidence level of 95% and a 5% margin of error was used, involving 307 students. Results: 53.4% of the students read magazines, 58.3% read newspapers and periodicals, 93% watch television, 89.5% surf the Internet and 67.4% listen to the radio. The most viewed, read or listened to subjects involve violence, entertainment and politics. Health related issues recently viewed, read about or listened to involved child abuse 68%, eating fruits 62% and use of condoms 58.9%. Consulted sources that generated the greatest confidence on general health matters: doctors, family and the Internet; on sexual health matters, sources that generated the greatest confidence were doctors, friends and the Internet. Friends were the most consulted sources on matters involving sexual health, tobacco use, psychoactive drugs, alcohol and food. The family was the most frequently consulted source concerning oral health. Of the participants, 34.6% recalled accessing information related to health, of which 39.8% considered such information irrelevant to their lifestyle. Conclusions: health and communication students represent the biggest group exposed to television, Internet, radio and the press. They use such media information for entertainment and to be informed on current events. The health-related information they most recall involves violence, sexual health and healthy diets, which is, to some extent, used to modify their lifestyles.

Palabras clave : Mass media; health; health education; youth.

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