Currently submitted to: JMIR Infodemiology
Date Submitted: Aug 28, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Sep 13, 2026 - Nov 8, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Artificial Intelligence Use for Online Health Information Seeking Among University Students: A Descriptive Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Seeking health information remains one of the most common uses of the internet. Previous studies have reported that the internet has become the most widely used source for accessing health information. Although search engines remain the most commonly preferred source for obtaining health information, individuals are increasingly turning to alternative information channels. Since the widespread adoption of large language model (LLM)–based chatbots, emerging evidence has demonstrated a marked increase in the use of these artificial intelligence (AI) tools for accessing health information.
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for accessing health information and the associated factors among students of Karadeniz Technical University (KTU).
Methods:
The population of this descriptive study consisted of 27,689 students enrolled in 12 faculties and 8 vocational schools within KTU during the 2025–2026 academic year. A total of 2,374 students were reached between November 6, 2025 and December 22, 2025. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test, Chi-square test, Fisher Exact Test and binary logistic regression analysis.
Results:
Among KTÜ students, the prevalence of using AI tools to obtain health information at any time is 81.8%. The use of AI for health information seeking was associated with faculty, year of study, gender, place of residence, over-the-counter drug use, use of online tools for health information, presence of individuals in the social environment using AI for health purposes, trust in AI-generated health information, trust in physicians, e-health literacy, and health anxiety. Trust in AI-generated health information, use of online tools for health information, and over-the-counter drug use were identified as risk factors for AI use, whereas trust in physicians and healthcare professionals was found to be protective.
Conclusions:
Access to healthcare professionals among students should be strengthened, and they should be encouraged to use accurate and reliable digital health resources. Awareness regarding the potential benefits and limitations of AI-generated health information should be increased.
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