E-health literacy levels of high school students in Turkey: results of a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Summary Digital health literacy is defined as the ability to search, find, and understand health information available on electronic resources and to use the information obtained from these resources to address a health problem. This study aimed to identify the digital health literacy levels of high school students and the factors that contribute to its development. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 1250 high school students from 10 high schools. The data were collected using the descriptive characteristics form and e-Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS) for adolescents. The mean age of the students was 15.92 ± 0.95 years and 50.8% of them were girls. The mean score on the eHEALS was 27.52 ± 6.76, which was in the high digital health literacy range (eHEALS ≥ 26). The results indicated the mean digital health literacy scores were high in students who lived in a nuclear family, who understood the importance of good health, who had easy access to the Internet and who had highly educated parents with high income levels. Encouraging the development of digital health literacy through school curricula could offer opportunities for all young people to develop digital health literacy, regardless of socio-economic status or family situation.

Factors influencing the e-health literacy in cancer patients: a systematic review

“…At the enabling characteristics, preference, attitude, frequency, and access to online health knowledge-seeking were explored to be the main influencing factors. Our findings showed that having access to the Internet or a mobile device plays a crucial role in the ability to acquire and evaluate health-related information, which has been reported by a number of studies [ 16 , 29 , 30 ]. Recently, smartphones have become the main device to access the Internet, which allows participants to look for health symptoms and health-related factors at any time and to have a higher level of e-health literacy [ 62 ].…”

“…Among the elderly in China, the status quo of e-health literacy was low and the influencing factors include age, gender, educational level, marital status, and cultural barriers [ 15 ]. Research in Turkey has shown that the mean score of e-health literacy in high school students was high and the association between family structure, knowing the importance of health, easy access to the Internet, highly educated parents, and e-health literacy, was found [ 16 ]. According to a study by David Ka-Ki Wong et al, e-health literacy among primary care patients in Hong Kong can be predicted by a variety of demographic and behavioral factors, including age, better self-rated health, more frequent Internet use, more frequent online health information seeking, and a wider variety of health information websites [ 17 ].…”

<strong>Predictors of eHealth Literacy Among Turkish Adolesents: Perspectives From Preventive Health Practices And Health Promotion Activities</strong>

“…In addition, a Philippines study found eHealth literacy level (at 32.45) was higher among adolescents [28]. In a Turkish study, the mean score was 27.5 [29]. Comparison of the findings with those of other studies confirms that as proficient users of the internet, adolescents have a moderate level of eHealth skills.…”

“…In this study, adolescents' ehealth literacy level was found to be relatively high and acceptable with scores of 29.40±6. 29. In a study conducted in China, the eHealth scores of adolescents were found to be above 30 [26] and in Korean adolescents it was reported 3.59 as item mean [27].…”

Health literacy among adolescents and young adults in the Eastern Mediterranean region: a scoping review

“…The identified studies used various types of health literacy related to the following health topics: general health31 32 34 35 42–67; nutrition68–82; non-communicable diseases (NCDs)36 63; HIV83 84; e-health39 85–91; media92; physical health93 94; oral health38 95; medical96; disability67 97 98; mental health37 40 41 99–108; suicide109 110; and depression 33 111. These studies used 36 scales to measure health literacy, and these scales can be grouped into three categories: newly developed scales66 77 82 86 93 98; newly adapted and translated scales33 40 41 43 54 55 64 69 83 96 100 111; and previously adapted and translated scales 34 35 38 39 44–46 49 51–53 56–59 62 65 67 68 71–73 76 78–80 85 87–89 91 95 97 103 104 107–110 112 113…”