Changes in international students' health care and management

Abstract

International students often bring along medical practices and medications from home when studying abroad, in case they become sick. Upon arrival, international students are faced with many challenges, such as cultural and language barriers, social isolation, financial difficulties, and disparities in healthcare practices. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 international students from 10 different countries to explore their health behavior change using the Health Belief Model. Our study revealed an urgent need to address the issue of self-diagnosis and self-medication, a common problem among international students. We also propose design recommendations for technologies to facilitate their healthcare information seeking and communication with health providers.