Patterns of AI Used for Generating Health Information among Students in South West Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how individuals, especially young people, access health information. University students in South-West Nigeria represent a digitally connected demographic with high exposure to AI tools such as ChatGPT. While AI offers rapid, convenient health advice, concerns remain about reliability, misinformation, and trust.

Objective: The study aimed to assess awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) among university students in South-West Nigeria, examine patterns of AI use for generating health information, identify the types of health information commonly sought, determine the AI platforms used and their frequency of use, and explore the association between socio-demographic factors and the type of health information generated.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among university students using an online self-administered questionnaire. The tool captured socio-demographic information, awareness, frequency and purpose of AI use, and perceptions of reliability. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests to assess associations between socio-demographic variables and patterns of AI use.

Results: Awareness of AI was near-universal (99.0%), with a high adoption rate (89.2%). ChatGPT was the most widely used tool (84.3%), primarily for drug safety (42.2%) and diet/nutrition (40.2%) information. Only 19.6% of students used AI daily, while 40.7% reported rare use, suggesting AI serves as a supplementary rather than primary source of health information. Gender showed a significant association with interest in “other” health topics (p = 0.019), while most other socio-demographic factors were not significantly associated with AI use. Consistent with previous findings, students perceived AI outputs as moderately reliable but continued to trust human health professionals more.

Conclusion: AI tools, particularly ChatGPT, are widely adopted by university students in South-West Nigeria for health information, with strong interest in preventive health topics. However, reliance remains cautious due to concerns about misinformation and trust. Interventions to strengthen digital health literacy, regulatory oversight, and culturally sensitive AI design are needed to maximize benefits and mitigate risks.