scholarly journals Health Literacy in Web-Based Health Information Environments: Systematic Review of Concepts, Definitions, and Operationalization for Measurement (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Maija Huhta ◽  
Noora Hirvonen ◽  
Maija-Leena Huotari
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Quantitative Research Methods ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Specific Concept

BACKGROUND Health literacy research seems to lack a consensus on what aspects to include into literacy in the context of health and on how to operationalize these concepts for measurement purposes. In addition to health literacy, several other concepts, such as electronic health (eHealth) literacy and mental health literacy, have been developed across disciplines. This study examines how these different concepts are used when studying health-related competencies in Web contexts. OBJECTIVE This study systematically reviews health literacy concepts and definitions and their operationalization in studies focused on Web-based health information environments. METHODS A systematic literature search was conducted in April 2016 in 6 electronic databases with a limitation to articles in English published between January 2011 and April 2016. Altogether, 1289 unique records were identified and screened according to the predefined inclusion criteria: (1) original, peer-reviewed research articles written in English; (2) the topic of the article concerned literacy in the context of health; (3) informants of the study were lay people, not health professionals or students of the field; and (4) the focus of the study was placed on an Web-based information environment. In total, 180 full texts were screened, of which 68 were included in the review. The studies were analyzed with an emphasis on the used health literacy concepts and measures. RESULTS On the basis of the included studies, several concepts are in use when studying health-related literacy in Web environments, eHealth literacy and health literacy being the most common ones. The reviewed studies represent a variety of disciplines, but mostly medical sciences. Typically, quantitative research methods are used. On the basis of the definitions for health literacy, 3 thematic categories were identified: general and skill-based, multidimensional, and domain-specific health literacy. Most studies adopted a domain-specific concept, followed by the ones that used a general and skill-based concept. Multidimensional concepts occurred least frequently. The general health literacy concepts were usually operationalized with reading comprehension measures, the domain-specific concepts with self-efficacy measures, and multidimensional concepts with several types of measures. However, inconsistencies in operationalization were identified. CONCLUSIONS The results show that in studies conducted in Web-based information environments, several different health literacy concepts are in use, and there is no clear consensus on the definitions for these concepts. Future studies should place emphasis on the conceptual development of health literacy in Web contexts to gain better results on operationalization for measurement. Researchers are encouraged to provide clear operational definitions for the concepts they use to ensure transparency in reporting.

scholarly journals Correlation Between eHealth Literacy and Health Literacy Using the eHealth Literacy Scale and Real-Life Experiences in the Health Sector as a Proxy Measure of Functional Health Literacy: Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Del Giudice ◽  
Giulia Bravo ◽  
Marco Poletto ◽  
Anna De Odorico ◽  
Alessandro Conte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Functional Health Literacy ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health Field

BACKGROUND The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) is a tool for the self-assessment of perceived comfort and skills in using the internet as a source for health-related information. Although evidence exists of the reliability and construct and structural validity of the scale, there is a lack of evidence in relation to what is proposed by Norman and Skinner in their theoretical lily model of eHealth literacy; in particular it is not clear whether having a higher level of health literacy can positively influence electronic health (eHealth) literacy as measured by the eHEALS. OBJECTIVE Our study aim was to assess whether real-life experiences from studying or working in the health field, as a proxy of higher functional health literacy, correlate with self-referred eHealth literacy as measured by the eHEALS. METHODS A Web-based survey was conducted among adults living in Northeast Italy using an Italian version of the eHEALS (IT-eHEALS). In order to be able to measure the effect of higher functional health literacy on eHealth literacy, we divided our sample into two groups, respectively characterized by studying or working experience in the health sector and by lack thereof. Mean differences between eHEALS were calculated using t test and effect size evaluated using Cohen d. To ensure the validity of the IT-eHEALS, we evaluated its psychometric properties (internal consistency and dimensionality) and construct validity (by evaluating its correlation with respondents age, gender, educational attainment, self-rated health, use of internet for health-related purposes, and working status). RESULTS A total of 868 respondents that completed the IT-eHEALS were included for analysis, of which 259 had working or studying experience in the health field. Mean (SD) eHEALS total score was 28.2 (6.2) for the whole sample, with statistically significant differences (P<.001) between the two groups, with the higher health literate group scoring significantly better (31.9 (5.9) vs 26.7 (5.6), respectively), with a standardized mean difference (Cohen d) of 0.9. Interestingly, we found a weak, yet significant, correlation between eHealth literacy and respondent characteristics for the higher health literate group only, as measured by positive Spearman correlation coefficients for age (0.11, P=.001), educational attainment (0.19, P=.002) and self-rated health (0.14, P=.024). Also, in line with current literature, correlation of eHEALS score with frequency of internet use for health-related purposes was significant for both groups (0.32, P<.001 and 0.15, P<.001 for higher and lower health literacy group, respectively). In our study we could not find any difference related to gender, while a significant difference for working status was only present when considering the sample as a whole (P=.03). CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates a sizeable effect of higher levels of functional health literacy on the eHEALS score, corroborating what was initially proposed by Norman and Skinner in the lily model of eHealth literacy.

scholarly journals Development of an Instrument to Assess Parents’ Excessive Web-Based Searches for Information Pertaining to Their Children’s Health: The “Children’s Health Internet Research, Parental Inventory” (CHIRPI)

10.2196/16148 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. e16148
Author(s):  
Antonia Barke ◽  
Bettina K Doering
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Health Anxiety ◽  
Chronically Ill ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Internet Research ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Main Effects

Background People often search the internet to obtain health-related information not only for themselves but also for family members and, in particular, their children. However, for a minority of parents, such searches may become excessive and distressing. Little is known about excessive web-based searching by parents for information regarding their children’s health. Objective This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument designed to assess parents' web-based health information searching behavior, the Children’s Health Internet Research, Parental Inventory (CHIRPI). Methods A pilot survey was used to establish the instrument (21 items). CHIRPI was validated online in a second sample (372/384, 96.9% mothers; mean age 32.7 years, SD 5.8). Item analyses, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and correlations with parents’ perception of their children’s health-related vulnerability (Child Vulnerability Scale, CVS), parental health anxiety (modified short Health Anxiety Inventory, mSHAI), and parental cyberchondria (Cyberchondria Severity Scale, CSS-15) were calculated. A subset of participants (n=73) provided retest data after 4 weeks. CHIRPI scores (total scores and subscale scores) of parents with a chronically ill child and parents who perceived their child to be vulnerable (CVS+; CVS>10) were compared with 2×2 analyses of variances (ANOVAs) with the factors Child’s Health Status (chronically ill vs healthy) and perceived vulnerability (CVS+ vs CVS−). Results CHIRPI’s internal consistency was standardized alpha=.89. The EFA identified three subscales: Symptom Focus (standardized alpha=.87), Implementing Advice (standardized alpha=.74) and Distress (standardized alpha=.89). The retest reliability of CHIRPI was measured as rtt=0.78. CHIRPI correlated strongly with CSS-15 (r=0.66) and mSHAI (r=0.39). The ANOVAs comparing the CHIRPI total score and the subscale scores for parents having a chronically ill child and parents perceiving their child as vulnerable revealed the main effects for perceiving one’s child as vulnerable but not for having a chronically ill child. No interactions were found. This pattern was observed for the CHIRPI total score (η2=0.053) and each subscale (Symptom Focus η2=0.012; Distress η2=0.113; and Implementing Advice η2=0.018). Conclusions The psychometric properties of CHIRPI are excellent. Correlations with mSHAI and CSS-15 indicate its validity. CHIRPI appears to be differentially sensitive to excessive searches owing to parents perceiving their child’s health to be vulnerable rather than to higher informational needs of parents with chronically ill children. Therefore, it may help to identify parents who search excessively for web-based health information. CHIRPI (and, in particular, the Distress subscale) seems to capture a pattern of factors related to anxious health-related cognitions, emotions, and behaviors of parents, which is also applied to their children.

Indonesian Student Nurses’ E-Health Literacy Skills

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dame Elysabeth Tarihoran ◽  
Dian Anggraini ◽  
Enni Juliani ◽  
Ressa Ressa ◽  
Ihlus Fardan
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Nursing Student ◽  
Student Nurses ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ehealth Literacy

Background: Nurses should have a good level of e-health literacy to help patients utilize e-health information. Objective: To measure e-health literacy skills and contribute factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 2209 nursing student in Indonesia (October–November 2019) using eHeals. Result: The overall eHealth literacy was 4 (Scale 1–5). There were statistically significant differences between e-Heals score with contribute factors (<0.001). Conclusion: Indonesian nursing students already have basic necessary skills of e-health.

scholarly journals Exploring Health Literacy in Individuals with Alcohol Addiction: A Mixed Methods Clinical Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (18) ◽  
pp. 6728
Author(s):  
Gabriela Rolova ◽  
Beata Gavurova ◽  
Benjamin Petruzelka
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Addiction Treatment ◽  
Alcohol Addiction ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Literacy Survey ◽  
Health Related

This mixed methods research paper explores health literacy (HL) in individuals with alcohol addiction by using the 47-item version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) and semi-structured interviews concerning health-related competencies (access, understand, appraise, and apply health information), and determines the limitations of the HLS-EU-Q47 when used under specific conditions of clinical practice. The questionnaire survey and the interviews were conducted with individuals of different health literacy levels who were undergoing inpatient alcohol addiction treatment. The findings indicate that individuals with alcohol addiction might require different types of health information according to their health literacy level in terms of quantity and quality of information to recover from alcohol addiction and improve their overall health. The implications for the clinical practice of addiction treatment as well as recommendations for national and regional policy are also discussed.

Evidence-Based Design Principles for Web Sites Advancing eHealth Literacy

2014 ◽  
Vol 931-932 ◽  
pp. 1447-1451
Author(s):  
Michael Brückner ◽  
Sakesan Sivilai ◽  
Chakkrit Snae Namahoot
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Content Delivery ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
User Story ◽  
E Learning

This paper reports on a study on practical design principles for Web sites aiming at the support of personal Web-based health literacy among the general population, especially adults. The principles cover the construction, presentation and management of content relating such health literacy topics as healthy food intake and the value of exercising for different groups of population. The key proposition of this study is that the design of eHealth literacy information on the Web is a special case of e-learning with respect to content delivery and focus groups. We also see adults as the members of eHealth focus groups for which we need a learner-centered approach to delivering materials. Therefore, we study seven principles in some detail with the help of a user story and following published evidence gathered by experiments relating e-learning of adults: (1) multimedia enhanced content delivery of textual information, (2) contiguity or immediate vicinity, (3) modality, (4) redundancy, (5) coherence or lean presentation, (6) personalization, and (7) segmenting.

The Changing Nature of Health Information Dissemination through the Role of Social Media

2013 ◽  
Vol 411-414 ◽  
pp. 110-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Dumbrell ◽  
Robert Steele
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health Information Sources

Traditional forms of health information dissemination have previously involved a few key organizations originating health-related information and disseminating this to clinicians and the community. This information was typically disseminated via private, formalized and non-digital interactions between health information sources (HIS) and clinicians and consumers. With the introduction of the Internet, Web-based health information dissemination led to some changes with greater availability of online health information. However the recent adoption and uptake of social media has led to many more parties, both organizations of varying types, and individuals, participating in public health information dissemination; and this has also led to new forms of sharing health-related information, particularly involving a greater role for individuals. In this paper we introduce empirical findings in relation to how organizations and individuals are now using social media for sharing health information, and from this suggest themes to describe the changes from traditional to contemporary health information dissemination, as well as the new emerging roles and forms of interaction for health information dissemination.

scholarly journals Links between Adolescents’ Health Literacy and their Physical Activity and Body Mass Index

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (114) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Rutkauskaitė ◽  
Konsta Kuusinen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Organized Activities ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Sports Club ◽  
Health Related

Background. The aim of the study was to identify links between health literacy, health information literacy and physical activity as well as body mass index in adolescents.Methods. The study was carried out from September till the end of November, 2018. Research participants were 167 14–18-year-old students from Kaunas, Klaipeda and Vilnius (n = 107 females, n = 60 males). Participants were asked to fill in an anonymous online questionnaire, which consisted of basic demographics, physical activity, health information literacy and health literacy. Adolescents’ body mass index was calculated using ISO-BMI calculations. Physical activity was assessed by Petronytė’s physical activity questionnaire. To determine adolescents’ everyday health information literacy, we used self-assessed 10-item screening tool (EHIL-10) and to determine health literacy, we used Newest Vital Sign (NVS) screening test. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0 program for Windows.Results. Health literacy did not have association with body mass index or the level of physical activity. Health literacy scores gave important data of the level of health literacy. The scores indicated that 21.6% of Lithuanian adolescents had adequate level of health literacy. It was found that age correlated positively with health literacy. Self-assessed everyday health information literacy was higher since 85% of the students had medium high or high level of health information literacy. The data revealed that adolescents were not sure where they could find health related information and who they could trust in health-related issues. For males, finding health information and knowing who they could trust in health issues was easier than for females. Health information literacy did not have association with ISO-BMI. Sufficient evaluation of health-related information was higher among normally weighted adolescents. Physically active students had higher health information literacy and participation in sports club activities had positive relation with better health information literacy. Additionally, involvement in organized activities associated with superior understanding of terms and sentences of health information. Evaluation of health information was higher among those who were actively involved in organized physical activities.Conclusions. Health information literacy did not have association with ISO-BMI. Those, who were involved in sports club activities or were more actively involved in organized physical activities had better health information literacy and evaluation of health information. Nevertheless, there was no connection between health literacy and physical activity. Keywords: health literacy, health information literacy, physical activity, body mass index.

scholarly journals Generic health literacy of adolescents in Germany: Results of a nationwide cross-sectional survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Jordan ◽  
OM Domanska ◽  
AK Loer
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors

Abstract Background For developing effective interventions to promote health literacy in adolescence, differentiated data on the distribution of health literacy levels is required, but still lacking for this age group in many countries. The study aims to measure the distribution of generic health literacy (GHL) among adolescents addressing cognitive, behavioural, communicative and motivational dimensions of GHL. Methods We conducted a representative nationwide cross-sectional online survey among 14-17-year-olds living in Germany (n = 1,235). Data on GHL were collected from 09.2019-12.2019 using the “Measurement of Health Literacy Among Adolescents”-Questionnaire (MOHLAA-Q). It was specially developed for this age-group and consists of a total of 29 items in four subscales: A: “Difficulties in Dealing with Health-Related Information”, B: “Health-Related Communication Skills”, C: “Attitudes toward One's Own Health & Health Information” and D: “Health-Related Knowledge”. We also collected data on socio-demographic factors. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were carried out. Results About half of the 14-17-year-olds reported many (8.4%) or some difficulties (42.2%) in dealing with health information. We observed low communication-related skills in 28.1% of adolescents. Regarding the attitude towards their own health and health information, 56.8% of respondents had a rather “partly passive/partly active” attitude and 8.8% had a “passive” attitude. 22.7% of the adolescents had a low level of health-related knowledge. All socio-demographic factors apart from age showed significant differences in each of the scales: by family affluence in all scales, by gender and by educational level in 3 scales and by migration background in 1 scale. Conclusions The results indicate a need for promoting GHL among adolescents. The differences in the four scales suggest that all dimensions of GHL should be addressed, but also considering socio-demographic factors at the same time.

scholarly journals Web-based health Information Seeking and eHealth Literacy among College students. A Self-report study

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh KHademian ◽  
Mahsa Roozrokh Arshadi Montazer ◽  
Azam Aslani
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Self Report ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Quality Health

Objective. This study aimed to assess web-based health information seeking and eHealth literacy among Iranian college students. Methods. The study was conducted in five colleges of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran during 2018. The data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of seven questions on a 4-point Likert-type scale, with scores ranging from 7 to 28. These questions were: ′I know how to use the Internet to answer my questions about health′, ′I think there is enough information about health-related issues on the Internet′, ′I know the vocabulary used in health issues on the Internet′, ′I can tell high-quality health resources from low-quality health resources on the Internet′, ′I know how to use the health information I find on the Internet to help me′, ′I feel confident in using information from the Internet to make health decisions′, and ′Searching for health-related information on the Internet will increase my knowledge in this field′. High eHealth literacy level is defined as above the total mean score and low eHealth literacy level is defined as lower than the total mean score. Results. In all, 386 college students participated in the study. The results showed that the mean score of eHealth literacy was 19.11 out of 28; 205 participants (54.4%) had low eHealth literacy. In addition, the students used the Internet to search for information regarding diseases symptoms (70%), physical illnesses (67.1%), existing treatments (65%), and diagnosis (63.1%). Conclusion. The results showed that participants in this study usually searched for illnesses, symptoms, and treatments after they got sick and paid little attention to other aspects related to integral health.How to cite this article: KHademian F, Roozrokh M, Aslani A. Web-based health Information Seeking and eHealth Literacy among College students. A Self-report study. Invest. Educ. Enferm. 2020. 38(1):e08.

scholarly journals Deaf Adults’ Health Literacy and Access to Health Information: Protocol for a Multicenter Mixed Methods Study

10.2196/14889 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. e14889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael M McKee ◽  
Peter C Hauser ◽  
Sara Champlin ◽  
Michael Paasche-Orlow ◽  
Kelley Wyse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Visual Learning ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Literacy Interventions ◽  
Limited Health Literacy ◽  
Limited Health

Background Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users often struggle with limited health literacy compared with their hearing peers. However, the mechanisms driving limited health literacy and how this may impact access to and understanding of health information for Deaf individuals have not been determined. Deaf individuals are more likely than hearing individuals to use the internet, yet they continue to report significant barriers to health information. This study presents an opportunity to identify key targets that impact information access for a largely marginalized population. Objective This study aims to elucidate the role of information marginalization on health literacy in Deaf ASL users and to better understand the mechanisms of health literacy in this population for the purpose of identifying viable targets for future health literacy interventions. Methods This is an exploratory mixed methods study to identify predictors and moderators of health literacy in the Deaf population. These predictors of health literacy will be used to inform the second step that qualitatively explains the findings, including how Deaf individuals access and understand Web-based health information. Multiple interviewer- and computer-based instruments underwent translation and adaptation, from English to ASL, to make them accessible for the Deaf participants in our study. A planned sample of 450 Deaf ASL users and 450 hearing native English speakers, aged 18 to 70 years, will be recruited from 3 partnering sites: Rochester, NY; Flint, MI; and Chicago, IL. These individuals will participate in a single data collection visit. A subset of participants (approximately 30) with key characteristics of interest will be invited for a second data collection visit to observe and inquire more about their ability to directly access, navigate, and comprehend Web-based health information. The study will help assess how the ways health literacy and information are visualized may differ between Deaf individuals and hearing individuals. The study will also survey participants’ ownership and use of computer and mobile devices and their level of Web-based information use, including health information. Results Adaptation and translation of protocols and instruments have been completed and are now in use for the study. Recruitment is underway and will continue until late 2020. Results from this study will be used to provide a guide on how to structure Web-based health information in a way that maximizes accessibility and improves health literacy for Deaf individuals. Conclusions The results from this mixed methods proposal will advance what is known about health literacy and health information accessibility for Deaf individuals. This innovative study will generate rich data on how to formulate health information and health literacy interventions more accurately to take advantage of visual learning skills. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/14889

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