Demand Preferences and Cognitive Barriers in Adolescent Health Science Communication: A Medical Student Survey
Objective: To analyze demand preferences and cognitive barriers in adolescent health science communication using survey data from medical students and to offer empirical evidence for refining delivery strategies. Methods: In March 2026, the study conducted a cross-sectional online survey of 390 first-year undergraduates at a Chinese medical college using convenience sampling. The questionnaire captured topic-specific demands, preferred formats and channels, session duration preferences, perceived supply gaps, and underserved populations. Data were analyzed with SPSS 26.0 using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. Results: (1) The top three demanded topics were nutrition and dietary management (80.51%), mental health (65.90%), and sleep health (60.51%). (2) Short videos (94.36%) were the preferred medium; real-case narratives (62.31%) were rated most memorable, with 77.13% preferring sessions under 10 minutes. (3) Females reported higher coverage than males across most topics, with gaps exceeding 19 percentage points for obesity, sleep, and spinal health. (4) Self-rated health positively predicted active learning frequency (B=0.27, P<0.001), which in turn negatively predicted preferred session duration (B=-0.13, P=0.019). (5) Rural adolescents (79.74%) and left-behind children (75.38%) were identified as the most underserved. Conclusion: Adolescent health communication demands now cover both physical and mental health. One cognitive barrier persists, however: poorer self-rated health is linked to weaker learning motivation. Delivery strategies should therefore move from passive dissemination to proactive outreach, using narrative-driven short videos as a core tool, tailoring content to learning behavior, and extending coverage to rural and left-behind adolescents.
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