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.