The Relationship of Health Literacy With Use of Digital Technology for Health Information: Implications for Public Health Practice

Abstract

While self-report health literacy does not appear to influence access to and use of digital technologies, there is a strong association with experiences searching for health information and preferences for health information sources. Public health agencies and organizations should consider the needs and preferences of people with low health literacy when determining channels for health information dissemination. They should also consider implementing interventions to develop health information-seeking skills in populations they serve and prepare information and materials that are easily accessible and understandable.

Association of health literacy with health information‐seeking preference in older people: A correlational, descriptive study

“…Health literacy has been shown to be a personal factor contributing to information‐seeking behaviors, which in turn influence knowledge, coping, and self‐care abilities (Lambert & Loiselle, ). Older people with low health literacy have demonstrated less information‐seeking behaviors using digital technologies or print materials compared to those with high health literacy (Manganello et al, ; Von Wagner, Semmler, Good, & Wardle, ), and have shown higher reliance on health‐care providers’ recommendations without seeking further information (Menendez et al, ; Smith et al, ).…”

Proposing an Ecosystem of Digital Health Solutions for Teens With Chronic Conditions Transitioning to Self-Management and Independence: Exploratory Qualitative Study (Preprint)

“…#3) To support their teens, caregivers desire access to educational material to learn as much as possible regarding the disease's symptoms, management, and treatment options. Despite the importance of education to support self-management in chronic disease management (CDM) [5,19], the literature suggested that barriers to having quality education and information included unreliable web resources and limited health and computer literacy of users [21]. #4) In addition to managing symptoms, families want a preemptive advantage through continuous symptom monitoring.…”

Evaluating and providing quality health information for adolescents and young adults with cancer

“…While individual health literacy levels are not predictive of digital technology use, it influences the time spent using technology for health-related matters. 27,28 When searching for health information, individuals with lower health literacy preferentially use social media networking sites and health-related apps rather than search engines with higher quality resources. 27 The large volume of online information can overwhelm patients with lower health literacy who report difficulty in locating, evaluating, and understanding health information.…”

“…27,28 When searching for health information, individuals with lower health literacy preferentially use social media networking sites and health-related apps rather than search engines with higher quality resources. 27 The large volume of online information can overwhelm patients with lower health literacy who report difficulty in locating, evaluating, and understanding health information. 28 Patients with lower health literacy tend to assign higher quality ratings to low-quality material.…”

“…Overall, nearly half of the world's population has reliable Internet access, with Europeans having the highest level (79.1%) followed by Americans (66.6%), while Internet access in Asia (41.9%) and Africa (25.1%) is significantly lower. Online use has significantly increased in the last 10 years with 60-72% of [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] year olds reporting access in high-income countries. 7,48,49 Higher SES has the strongest influence on digital technology usage.…”