Healthc Inform Res.  2019 Jul;25(3):221-229. 10.4258/hir.2019.25.3.221.

Factors Influencing eHealth Literacy of Middle School Students in Korea: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

• Park BK

• KMID: 2457474
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4258/hir.2019.25.3.221

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study is to identify eHealth literacy level and to analyze the factors influencing eHealth literacy among middle school students in Korea.
METHODS
This descriptive cross-sectional study involved the administration of a self-report questionnaire. The participants were 799 middle school students. Descriptive statistics were analyzed via an independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and one-way ANOVA. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to test the correlations among variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors influencing eHealth literacy.
RESULTS
eHealth literacy was substantially lower in students in their first year than in students in their third year of middle school. Participants with asthma, herniated disc, and atopic dermatitis had significantly lower eHealth literacy than those without the diseases. The major finding was that eHealth literacy of middle school students was influenced by their grade and number of diseases diagnosed. eHealth literacy was higher among students in their second and third years of middle school and among those who had fewer diagnosed diseases.
CONCLUSIONS
eHealth literacy among adolescents is important for better health outcomes; however, middle school students with diseases had lower eHealth literacy than healthy students. Therefore, efforts to enhance eHealth literacy should focus on adolescents with diseases; moreover, health education in schools and healthcare settings for adolescents should include critical analytical skill development for better eHealth literacy.

Keyword

Health Literacy; Internet; Adolescent; Disease; Health Education

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Asthma
Cross-Sectional Studies*
Delivery of Health Care
Dermatitis, Atopic
Health Education
Health Literacy
Humans
Internet
Intervertebral Disc Displacement
Korea*
Linear Models
Literacy*
Telemedicine*

Reference

1. Norman CD. Social media and health promotion. Glob Health Promot. 2012; 19(4):3–6.

2. Norman CD, Skinner HA. eHealth literacy: essential skills for consumer health in a networked world. J Med Internet Res. 2006; 8(2):e9.

3. Soellner R, Huber S, Reder M. The concept of eHealth literacy and its measurement. J Media Psychol. 2014; 26(1):29–38.

4. Norman CD, Skinner HA. eHEALS: the eHealth Literacy Scale. J Med Internet Res. 2006; 8(4):e27.

5. van der Vaart R, van Deursen AJ, Drossaert CH, Taal E, van Dijk JA, van de Laar MA. Does the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) measure what it intends to measure? Validation of a Dutch version of the eHEALS in two adult populations. J Med Internet Res. 2011; 13(4):e86.

6. Neter E, Brainin E. eHealth literacy: extending the digital divide to the realm of health information. J Med Internet Res. 2012; 14(1):e19.

7. Tennant B, Stellefson M, Dodd V, Chaney B, Chaney D, Paige S, et al. eHealth literacy and Web 2.0 health information seeking behaviors among baby boomers and older adults. J Med Internet Res. 2015; 17(3):e70.

8. Paige SR, Krieger JL, Stellefson M, Alber JM. eHealth literacy in chronic disease patients: an item response theory analysis of the eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS). Patient Educ Couns. 2017; 100(2):320–326.

9. Tubaishat A, Habiballah L. eHealth literacy among undergraduate nursing students. Nurse Educ Today. 2016; 42:47–52.

10. Manganello JA, Falisi AL, Roberts KJ, Smith KC, McKenzie LB. Pediatric injury information seeking for mothers with young children: the role of health literacy and ehealth literacy. J Commun Healthc. 2016; 9(3):223–231.

11. Knapp C, Madden V, Wang H, Sloyer P, Shenkman E. Internet use and eHealth literacy of low-income parents whose children have special health care needs. J Med Internet Res. 2011; 13(3):e75.

12. Pew Research Center. Internet/broadband fact sheet [Internet]. Washington (DC): Pew Research Center;2019. cited at 2019 Jul 6. Available from: https://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/internet-broadband/.

13. Manganello JA. Health literacy and adolescents: a framework and agenda for future research. Health Educ Res. 2008; 23(5):840–847.

14. Hove T, Paek HJ, Isaacson T. Using adolescent eHealth literacy to weigh trust in commercial web sites: the more children know, the tougher they are to persuade. J Advert Res. 2011; 51(3):524–537.

15. van der Vaart R, Drossaert CH, de Heus M, Taal E, van de Laar MA. Measuring actual eHealth literacy among patients with rheumatic diseases: a qualitative analysis of problems encountered using Health 1.0 and Health 2.0 applications. J Med Internet Res. 2013; 15(2):e27.

16. Schulz PJ, Fitzpatrick MA, Hess A, Sudbury-Riley L, Hartung U. Effects of eHealth literacy on general practitioner consultations: a mediation analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2017; 19(5):e166.

17. DeWalt DA, Dilling MH, Rosenthal MS, Pignone MP. Low parental literacy is associated with worse asthma care measures in children. Ambul Pediatr. 2007; 7(1):25–31.

18. Shone LP, Conn KM, Sanders L, Halterman JS. The role of parent health literacy among urban children with persistent asthma. Patient Educ Couns. 2009; 75(3):368–375.

19. Wood MR, Price JH, Dake JA, Telljohann SK, Khuder SA. African American parents'/guardians' health literacy and self-efficacy and their child's level of asthma control. J Pediatr Nurs. 2010; 25(5):418–427.

20. Hassan K, Heptulla RA. Glycemic control in pediatric type 1 diabetes: role of caregiver literacy. Pediatrics. 2010; 125(5):e1104–e1108.

21. Pulgaron ER, Sanders LM, Patino-Fernandez AM, Wile D, Sanchez J, Rothman RL, et al. Glycemic control in young children with diabetes: the role of parental health literacy. Patient Educ Couns. 2014; 94(1):67–70.

22. Janisse HC, Naar-King S, Ellis D. Brief report: parent's health literacy among high-risk adolescents with insulin dependent diabetes. J Pediatr Psychol. 2010; 35(4):436–440.

23. Keim-Malpass J, Letzkus LC, Kennedy C. Parent/caregiver health literacy among children with special health care needs: a systematic review of the literature. BMC Pediatr. 2015; 15:92.

24. Faul F, Erdfelder E, Buchner A, Lang AG. Statistical power analyses using G^*Power 3.1: tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behav Res Methods. 2009; 41(4):1149–1160.

25. Chung S, Park BK, Nahm ES. The Korean eHealth Literacy Scale (K-eHEALS): reliability and validity testing in younger adults recruited online. J Med Internet Res. 2018; 20(4):e138.

26. Ghaddar SF, Valerio MA, Garcia CM, Hansen L. Adolescent health literacy: the importance of credible sources for online health information. J Sch Health. 2012; 82(1):28–36.

27. McPherson M, Arango P, Fox H, Lauver C, McManus M, Newacheck PW, et al. A new definition of children with special health care needs. Pediatrics. 1998; 102(1 Pt 1):137–140.

28. Ran M, Peng L, Liu Q, Pender M, He F, Wang H. The association between quality of life(QOL) and health literacy among junior middle school students: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2018; 18(1):1183.