Fundamentals of Digital Health Literacy: A Review of the Literature

This study aims to identify the concept of digital health literacy by reviewing contemporary literature. For this purpose, we examine not only a way of understating the concept but also its core competencies by comparing them to those of digital literacy and health literacy

Measures of eHealth literacy: options for the Malaysian population

Health literacy is an important component to the self-management of one’s health decisions. As information on the Internet becomes more easily accessible, individuals need to be properly equipped to seek and evaluate the health information available to them. Digital health literacy, or eHealth literacy, refers to an array of skills required to properly seek, access, understand and apply health information on the Internet. To date, a number of different models and instruments have been developed to measure eHealth literacy, including the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), the eHealth Literacy Framework (eHLF), the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI), the eHealth Literacy Questionnaire (eHLQ), the eHealth Literacy Assessment Toolkit (eHLA) and the Transactional eHealth Literacy Instrument (TeHLI). While some of these instruments rely on the individual’s self-assessment of eHealth literacy, others also test for functional information, communication and technological competencies. This paper presents these different eHealth literacy instruments and how they have been applied in current research. The similarities and differences between the instruments are examined. The discussion concludes with a summary of the measures and potential ways forward in developing an eHealth Literacy instrument for the Malaysian population. It is hoped that this paper may benefit researchers, health care providers, practitioners, ministries and governing bodies interested in understanding eHealth literacy and its measures

Psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the eHealth Literacy Scale

Background We adapted the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) for Hungary and tested its psychometric properties on a large representative online sample of the general population. Methods The Hungarian version of eHEALS was developed using forward–backward translation. For the valuation study, 1000 respondents were recruited in early 2019 from a large online panel by a survey company. We tested internal consistency, test–retest reliability and construct and criterion validity using classical test theory, as well as item characteristics using an item-response theory (IRT) graded response model (GRM). Results 55% of respondents were female, and 22.1% were ≥ 65 years old. Mean eHEALS score was 29.2 (SD: 5.18). Internal consistency was good (Cronbach’s α=0.90), and test–retest reliability was moderate (intraclass correlation r=0.64). We identifed a single-factor structure by exploratory factor analysis, explaining 85% of test variance. Essential criteria for GRM analysis were met. Items 3 and 4 (search of health resources) were the least difcult, followed by items 5 and 8 (utilisation of health information), and then items 1 and 2 (awareness of health resources). Items 6 and 7 (appraisal of health resources) were most difcult. The measurement properties of eHEALS were not afected by gender, age, education or income levels. Female gender, older age, intensity of health information seeking, formal health education and visit at the electronic healthrecord website were associated with higher eHEALS scores, as well as best and worst self-perceived health states, BMI<25 and participation at health screenings over the past year. Conclusions The Hungarian eHEALS is a useful and valid tool for measuring subjective eHealth literacy

Search Engine Use for Health-Related Purposes: Behavioral Data on Online Health Information-Seeking in Germany

Internet searches for health-related purposes are common, with search engines like Google being the most popular starting point. However, results on the popularity of health information-seeking behaviors are based on self-report data, often criticized for suffering from incomplete recall, overreporting, and low reliability. Therefore, the current study builds on user-centric tracking of Internet use to reveal how individuals actually behave online. We conducted a secondary analysis of passively recorded Internet use logs to examine the prevalence of health-related search engine use, the types of health information searched for, and the sources visited after the searches. The analysis revealed two key findings. 1) We largely support earlier survey-based findings on the prevalence of online health information seeking with search engines and the relatively minor differences in information-seeking behaviors between socio-demographic groups. 2) We provide a more granular picture of the process of HISB using search engines by identifying different selection patterns depending on the scope of the searches

Examining the Status of Health Literacy, E-Health Literacy and Acceptance of Conspiracy Beliefs in the Face of COVID-19

This study investigates the status of health literacy, e-health literacy, and acceptance of conspiracy beliefs in the face of COVID-19 among graduate students of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in Iran. The current research is a descriptive survey. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire. The statistical population of the research consists of graduate students of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in the academic year 2020-2021. The sampling of the research was determined based on the Kurjesi-Morgan sample size table and the sample size was 362 people. According to the findings, the level of health literacy, e-health literacy, and acceptance of conspiracy beliefs in the face of COVID-19 among students was above average. During a crisis, more than any other time, attention should be paid to the promotion of health literacy and e-health literacy of students. Due to the higher acceptance of conspiracy beliefs among students compared to the average level, the need to inform them about the infodemic phenomenon and improve the level of health literacy and e-health literacy among them is felt

Search Engine Use for Health-Related Purposes: Behavioral Data on Online Health Information-Seeking in Germany

Internet searches for health-related purposes are common, with search engines like Google being the most popular starting point. However, results on the popularity of health information-seeking behaviors are based on self-report data, often criticized for suffering from incomplete recall, overreporting, and low reliability. Therefore, the current study builds on user-centric tracking of Internet use to reveal how individuals actually behave online. We conducted a secondary analysis of passively recorded Internet use logs to examine the prevalence of health-related search engine use, the types of health information searched for, and the sources visited after the searches. The analysis revealed two key findings. 1) We largely support earlier survey-based findings on the prevalence of online health information seeking with search engines and the relatively minor differences in information-seeking behaviors between socio-demographic groups. 2) We provide a more granular picture of the process of HISB using search engines by identifying different selection patterns depending on the scope of the searches.In dieser Studie wird auf Grundlage verknüpfter Web Tracking- und Befragungsdaten untersucht, wie sich die Menschen in Deutschland im Internet über Gesundheitsfragen informieren. Gegenüber bisherigen Studien auf Basis von Selbstauskünften in Befragungen eröffnen die Ergebnisse ein umfassenderes und differenziertes Bild des Informationsverhaltens im Internet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es sich bei Suche nach Gesundheitsinformationen im Internet um ein verbreitetes Phänomen handelt, das über verschiedene Altersgruppen und Bevölkerungsschichten hinweg gängig ist. Dabei werden Suchmaschinen wie Google auf ganz unterschiedliche Weise für die Suche nach gesundheitsbezogenen Informationen genutzt. Neben der gezielten Suche nach spezifischen Informationen zu den Symptomen, Ursachen und Behandlungsmöglichkeiten von Krankheiten spielte die Suche nach Informationen zu allgemeinen Fragen der gesunden Lebensführung und Ernährung eine wichtige Rolle. Die Studie verdeutlicht das breite Einsatzspektrum verknüpfter Web Tracking- und Befragungsdaten jenseits ihrer bisheriger Anwendungsschwerpunkte in der Nachrichten- und politischen Kommunikationsforschung

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Online Health Information Seeking Behavior Pattern of Undergraduate Students in a Nigerian Private University

Given the wide-ranging influence of the internet on people in this digital age and the extensive reliance of young people on internet-enabled mobile devices, our study aimed to assess the pattern of online health information seeking behavior among undergraduate students in a Nigerian private university. Employing the cross-sectional survey design and purposive sampling technique, three hundred and four (304) undergraduates took part in the study. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the socio-demographic characteristics, participant’s use of the internet, online health information seeking behaviour and use of online health information. The results showed that the mean age of 20.012.34 years whereby the age range of the respondents was from 15 to 29 years. Also, most of the students were active users of the internet as 94.1% used the internet daily while 83.2% used the internet for health purpose. Topmost among the reasons given for usage and non-usage of the internet for health information included convenience (74.3%) and unreliability (10.5%) respectively. Majorly (67.1%) of the respondents sought online health information using the Google search engine. Skin conditions (62.5%) and sexual/reproductive health (59.9%) were the most searched topics. Also, most (51%) used online health information as a basis for lifestyle change while only 38% consulted health professionals after obtaining online information. In conclusion, the internet has assumed a very important role in the lives of undergraduate students in Nigeria, more so in the area of seeking for health information. There is therefore an urgent need to promote information literacy tailored towards online health information among undergraduate students in particular and young people in general. There is a need for practitioners in the Nigerian health sector to take an active position in regulating and ensuring the availability of health-related information, especially that which is related to locally common health conditions

Modeling the online health information seeking process: Information channel selection among university students

This study investigates the influence of individual and information characteristics on university students' information channel selection (that is, search engines, social question & answer sites, online health websites, and social networking sites) of online health information (OHI) for three different types of search tasks (factual, exploratory, and personal experience). Quantitative data were collected via an online questionnaire distributed to students on various postgraduate programs at a large UK university. In total, 291 responses were processed for descriptive statistics, Principal Component Analysis, and Poisson regression. Search engines are the most frequently used among the four channels of information discussed in this study. Credibility, ease of use, style, usefulness, and recommendation are the key factors influencing users' judgments of information characteristics (explaining over 62% of the variance). Poisson regression indicated that individuals' channel experience, age, student status, health status, and triangulation (comparing sources) as well as style, credibility, usefulness, and recommendation are substantive predictors for channel selection of OHI