Information Literacy of Public Health Students in Bordeaux, France: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study builds on an earlier Information Literacy (IL) assessment of Public Health (PH) students, where graduation background was associated with IL. Here, we described the IL of PH students and investigated if the country of origin is an associated variable. A cross-sectional study with 151 PH master students attending the Institut de Santé Publique d'Épidémiologie et de Développement on face-to-face and distance education modalities was developed with a customized questionnaire applied during an IL course. Overall, participants (Ps=86) showed positive IL basic skills, but used less frequently the more sophisticated resources. Differences between French (55) and Foreign (31) Ps were noticed in the choice of information sources and previous learning opportunities. In addition to graduation background, the shortage of information resources and lack of expert IL tutoring in the respective countries could be associated with IL differences. Course planners of international PH programs should take these variables into consideration. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2013.