How College Students Communicatively Manage Uncertainty about University Health Services.
Health Commun
; 36(8): 1009-1017, 2021 07.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32098524
ABSTRACT
Despite university health services' critical role in addressing students' health, students frequently underutilize on-campus healthcare, in part due to uncertainty. This study used Uncertainty Management Theory and 41 interviews with college students and health center staff and providers to uncover the types of health services uncertainty students experienced and how students used communication to manage uncertainty. Students experienced institutional uncertainty pertaining to services, logistics, and quality-of-care. Participants who viewed this uncertainty negatively sought to reduce it via passive- and experiential-information seeking. Students who appraised uncertainty neutrally or positively maintained it by ignoring or avoiding information. Other students increased uncertainty by seeking second opinions. Findings suggest that promoting health services year-round and incentivizing patient referrals may help students manage both uncertainty and their health.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Student Health Services
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Health Commun
Journal subject:
PESQUISA EM SERVICOS DE SAUDE
/
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article