Assessment of Electronic Health Literacy Among Filipino Americans

Abstract

Health literacy requires skills of reading, understanding, and analyzing text, numbers, graphs, and diagrams to make well-informed decisions. The increase advancement in technologies has made health information accessible in electronic format. Individuals must apply health literacy in navigating through health information resources on the Internet. Filipino Americans originating from a diverse background are often underreported and underrepresented in health research. The study aim was to examine electronic health literacy among Filipino Americans using the Electronic Health Literacy Scale survey. The descriptive study recruited 103 participants. Overall Filipino Americans are electronic health literate, with a mean of 32.4 (SD = 4.6). Females (P = .017), those with graduate or professional degrees (P = .004) and working in healthcare (P = .040) tend to have higher electronic health literacy. The study provided valuable insight on electronic health literacy on a population that is underrepresented in research. The descriptive data gained from the study lays foundational work to help decrease health inequities experienced by Filipino Americans.