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Almeida, Sofia, Pinto, Elisabate, Correia, Marta, Veiga, Nélio, Almeida, Armando. (1405). Assessment of Digital Health Literacy among University Students: Influence of Course Type and Online Health Information Seeking. , 11(3), 65-77. doi: 10.22038/jhl.2025.91108.1852
Sofia Almeida; Elisabate Pinto; Marta Correia; Nélio Veiga; Armando Almeida. "Assessment of Digital Health Literacy among University Students: Influence of Course Type and Online Health Information Seeking". , 11, 3, 1405, 65-77. doi: 10.22038/jhl.2025.91108.1852
Almeida, Sofia, Pinto, Elisabate, Correia, Marta, Veiga, Nélio, Almeida, Armando. (1405). 'Assessment of Digital Health Literacy among University Students: Influence of Course Type and Online Health Information Seeking', , 11(3), pp. 65-77. doi: 10.22038/jhl.2025.91108.1852
Almeida, Sofia, Pinto, Elisabate, Correia, Marta, Veiga, Nélio, Almeida, Armando. Assessment of Digital Health Literacy among University Students: Influence of Course Type and Online Health Information Seeking. , 1405; 11(3): 65-77. doi: 10.22038/jhl.2025.91108.1852

Assessment of Digital Health Literacy among University Students: Influence of Course Type and Online Health Information Seeking

Journal of Health Literacy
مقاله 5، دوره 11، شماره 3 - شماره پیاپی 42، مهر 2026، صفحه 65-77    اصل مقاله (1.34 M)
نوع مقاله: Original Article
شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.22038/jhl.2025.91108.1852
نویسندگان
Sofia Almeida* 1؛ Elisabate Pinto2؛ Marta Correia2؛ Nélio Veiga3؛ Armando Almeida4
1Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS), Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 4169-055 Porto, Portugal
2Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal
3Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS), Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Viseu, Portugal.
4CIIS, Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal
چکیده
Background and Objective: E-health literacy involves the ability to search for, find, estimate and evaluate information about health and/or health services. Online sources of health information are now a privileged way of accessing information, especially among students. The aim of this study was to access the level of e- health literacy in a sample of Portuguese university students; and to relate the level of e-health literacy with sociodemographic characteristics; analyze differences between health and non-health students and with the use of online health information. 

Material and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on Portuguese university students. All students completed a questionnaire consisting of social-demographic characteristics, and sources of health online information used. The digital health literacy score was assessed by the eHEALS scale validated for the Portuguese population. Descriptive and inferential analysis was applied, as well as multivariate regression models. 

Results: In this study, 534 university students participated; the median age was 21.0. The level of e-health literacy was 28.8 (5.6). Health-sciences students had higher digital health literacy scores than students from other fields. Most students considered the internet to be useful and very useful in making health decisions. Students' use of health online information sources such as official health websites (OR= 2.6; CI 95%= 1.5;4.3) and professional health websites (OR= 2.3; CI95%= 1.4; 3.8) increased their likelihood of having a sufficient level of e-health literacy. While the use of information sources such as social networks (OR= 0.5; 95%CI: 0.3;0.9) decreases the likelihood of having a sufficient level of e-health literacy.

Conclusion: Health students showed higher levels of health literacy, demonstrating the importance of including health education in the curricula of other areas. As a practical implication, there is a need to include health education, health campaigns, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles in curricula in order to increase health literacy in university.
کلیدواژه‌ها
literacy, health؛ digital health literacy؛ students, university
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