Group differences in health literacy are ameliorated in ehealth literacy

Abstract

Background: Heath literacy and eHealth literacy are skills that enable individuals to seek, understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain health. The present study examined group differences (ethnicity, immigration) in both literacies and whether there exists an association between the literacies and potential outcomes/gains in health behaviors, health care utilization, perceived health and perceived outcomes of Internet search. Methods: Participants included 819 Israeli men and women who responded to a nationally representative random-digital-dial (RDD) telephone survey. Respondents were veteran Jews, immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, and Palestinian Citizens of Israel. Results: Significant differences between the groups were found in health literacy, especially in higher ordered skills, so that the immigrant group was the lowest, after accounting for demographic variables. No significant group differences were found in eHealth literacy. Health literacy was found to be significantly associated with healthcare utilization, perceived health and perceived outcomes of Internet search while eHealth literacy was associated with perceived health and perceived outcomes of Internet search. No interaction was found between group and literacies in the prediction of the outcomes. Conclusions: Immigration hampers health literacy but differences are ameliorated in eHealth literacy. Finding on association between literacies and outcomes replicated previous ones and the absence of moderation by group attests to the robustness of the models on health literacies.

Digital Contact Tracing and COVID-19: Design, Deployment, and Current Use in Italy

“…A notable part of the population certainly could not take advantage of these technologies due to the digital divide. The digital divide is a very key aspect and depends on two very important parameters: literacy [ 38 ] and access to infrastructures [ 39 ]. This value, with reference to the access to mobile technology in the period immediately preceding the pandemic, was equal to 26.2% [ 31 ] and then decreased to 16.7% [ 32 ].…”

The Vaccination Process against the COVID-19: Opportunities, Problems and mHealth Support

“…These difficulties fall within the problem of the digital divide . They range from the difficulties in accessing infrastructures up to the degree of literacy [ 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”

“…The first level of the digital divide is represented by the difficulty in the access to the infrastructures ; this today remains a problem also in the richest and most technologically advanced countries in the world [ 12 ]. The second level is represented by the literacy , characterized by the skills that enable individuals to seek, understand, and use information in ways which promote and maintain health based on digital health [ 13 ]. The third level is represented by the potential benefit level [ 14 ].…”

“…The app of the public services uses an access based on the digital identity . Aware of the problem of the digital divide ( Section 2.2 ) from a literacy point of view [ 13 ], the Italian state, during last autumn, activated familiarization initiatives towards this app by inserting a reimbursement program (Cashback) [ 56 ].…”

The Digital Health: From the Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic Onwards

“…The first component is represented by the difficulty in accessing to the infrastructures; to date, this also remains a problem in the richest and most technologically advanced countries in the world [14]. The second component is represented by the literacy [15]. These two components of the digital divide were particularly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic [16][17][18][19][20][21].…”