Internet Use, Electronic Health Literacy, and Hypertension Control among the Elderly at an Urban Primary Care Center in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the internet usage and electronic health literacy (eHL) among adults aged 60 and older with hypertension and to explore the associations between eHL and blood pressure control. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at an out-patient primacy care clinic in the urban city center of Chiang Mai, Thailand. eHL was measured using the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Logistic regression was used to identify the association between eHL and blood pressure, adjusting for age and sex as a priori confounders and key sociodemographic factors previously identified in univariable analysis. A total of 110 older adult patients with a history of diagnosed hypertension agreed to participate. The mean age of the participants was 67 years old. Fifty-six participants (50.9%) had used the internet in their lifetime. Among internet users, 37 out of 56 participants (66%) could be classified as having high eHL. However, there was insufficient evidence for associations among internet use, eHL and hypertension control. This result potentially creates new opportunities for eHealth education and interventions. Efforts to produce centralized clear, reliable health information targeting this demographic would be worthwhile to help manage chronic diseases such as hypertension in Thailand in the future.