Associations of eHealth Literacy With Health Services Utilization Among College Students: Cross-Sectional Study

Relationship Between eHealth Literacy and Healthy Aging in Older Chinese People: The Mediating Effect of Health Behaviors

OBJECTIVES

Healthy aging is an important means of promoting the well-being of older individuals. However, no studies have examined the relationship between eHealth literacy and healthy aging or its mechanism. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between eHealth literacy and healthy aging and the mediating effect of health behaviors in older Chinese individuals.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

We recruited 2144 older individuals from Jinan, Shandong Province, China.

METHODS

We used the eHealth Literacy Scale to assess eHealth literacy. Healthy aging was evaluated based on multimorbidity, functional limitations, mild cognitive impairment, depressive symptoms, and social isolation. Moreover, health behaviors were assessed using the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile. Logistic and linear regression models were used to analyze the relationships between eHealth literacy, healthy aging, and its components. Finally, a structural equation model was used to analyze the mediation.

RESULTS

High eHealth literacy was associated with all healthy aging components (P < .05), including the absence of multimorbidity [odds ratio (OR), 1.014; 95% CI, 1.002-1.025], no functional limitation (OR, 1.035; 95% CI, 1.022-1.047), no mild cognitive impairment (OR, 1.042; 95% CI, 1.024-1.061), no depressive symptoms (OR, 1.049; 95% CI, 1.027-1.072), and no social isolation (OR, 1.033; 95% CI, 1.018-1.048). In the adjusted model, eHealth literacy (β = 0.174; 95% CI, 0.132-0.217) was positively correlated with healthy aging. Health behaviors had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between eHealth literacy and healthy aging.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Higher eHealth literacy was associated with better healthy aging in older Chinese individuals, and health behaviors mediated this relationship. Improving eHealth literacy may be an effective intervention for achieving healthy aging.

Are health promotion activities and preventive health practices predictors of adolescent eHealth literacy?

Adolescents' general health status and health behaviors have been closely monitored in recent years. It is estimated that adolescents comprise one-sixth of the world's population. This study examined whether eHealth literacy was predicted via health promotion activities and preventive health practices among Turkish adolescents. This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and May 2022 with 706 adolescents in Çorum, Turkey. A face-to-face questionnaire form was used, including socio-demographic characteristics, preventive health practices, eHealth literacy scale and Adolescent Health Promotion Scale. The data of the research were analyzed with the SPSS 22.0 program. Percentage, mean, Pearson Correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were used in the analyzes. The p < 0.05 value was considered statistically significant in the evaluations. In the study, 55.8% were female, and the mean age of the whole group was 16.09 ± 2.63 years. The mean score on the eHealth literacy scale was 29.40 ± 6.29. The mean of the total scores obtained from the Adolescent Health Promotion Scale was 137.97 ± 21.87. There was a significant positive correlation between eHealth literacy and the Adolescent Health Promotion Scale (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to predict eHealth literacy using the variables of Adolescent Health Promotion and preventive health practices. eHealth literacy positively and significantly predicts health promotion activities (β = 0.27, t (695) = 7.54, p < 0.001). eHealth literacy increased annual weight measurement by more than 0.13 (β = 0.13), annual blood iron measurement by more than 0.16 (β = 0.16) and annual dental examination by more than 0.11 (β = 0.11). Developing eHealth literacy interventions will be necessary for environments with a high concentration of adolescents (schools and courses). Also, primary health care services should be integrated with the school environment.

College Students' eMental Health Literacy and Risk of Diagnosis with Mental Health Disorders

BACKGROUND

This study investigated college students' eMental health literacy (eMHL), knowledge of common mental disorders and risk of being diagnosed with a mental health disorder and compared their knowledge of mental disorders and concurrent risk of diagnosis with high and low eMHL; Method: A total of 123 college students completed an online survey through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests; Results: eMental health literacy scores were higher when students had a history of prior mental health problems, were female, and graduate students. College students with high eMHL were more likely to recognize symptoms, recommend professional help, and be at lower risk for common mental health disorders compared to low eMHL students; Conclusions: eMHL was associated with mental health status and demographic variables. Level of eMHL was associated with knowledge of mental disorders and risk of diagnosis.

IMPLICATIONS

The results highlight the need for targeted interventions to enhance eMHL of college students, support mental health resilience and prevent mental health disorders.

The Longitudinal Relationship Between eHealth Literacy, Health-Promoting Lifestyles, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among College Students: A Cross-Lagged Analysis

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the longitudinal associations between eHealth literacy, health-promoting lifestyles, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among college students.

Methods

From December 2019 (T1) to December 2020 (T2), we administered the eHealth literacy scale, Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), and Short-Form Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile Scale to 1,181 college students in Jinan, China. Participants were recruited for 12 months for the two-stage survey.

Results

Stable positive correlations were shown between eHealth literacy, health-promoting lifestyles, and HRQoL across time. The cross-lagged analysis showed that eHealth literacy at T1 predicted health-promoting lifestyles at T2 (β = 0.080, P = 0.006); however, health-promoting lifestyles at T1 did not predict eHealth literacy at T2 (β = −0.026, P = 0.499). HRQoL at T1 predicted health-promoting lifestyles at T2 (β = 0.147, P < 0.001); however, similar to the eHealth literacy finding, health-promoting lifestyles at T1 did not predict HRQoL at T2 (β = 0.045, P = 0.142). eHealth literacy was also bi-directionally associated with HRQoL, and the prediction effect of eHealth literacy at T1 to HRQoL at T2 (β = 0.078, P = 0.008) was slightly higher than the prediction effect of HRQoL at T1 to eHealth literacy at T2 (β = 0.074, P = 0.023).

Conclusion

eHealth literacy and HRQoL may be antecedents for college students' health-promoting lifestyles. There may be significant bi-directional relationships between eHealth literacy and HRQoL.

Digital health literacy, online information-seeking behaviour, and satisfaction of Covid-19 information among the university students of East and South-East Asia

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing interest in online information about coronavirus worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the digital health literacy (DHL) level, information-seeking behaviour, and satisfaction of information on COVID-19 among East and South-East Asia university students. This cross-sectional web-based study was conducted between April to June 2020 by recruiting students from universities in China, Malaysia, and the Philippines. University students who have Internet access were invited to participate in the study. Items on sociodemographic variables, DHL, information-seeking behaviour, and information satisfaction were included in the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were conducted. A total of 5302 university students responded to the survey. The overall mean score across the four DHL subscales was 2.89 (SD: 0.42). Search engines (e.g., Google, Bing, Yahoo) (92.0%) and social media (88.4%) were highly utilized by the students, whereas Websites of doctors or health insurance companies were of lower utilization (64.7%). Across the domains (i.e., adding self-generated content, determining relevance, evaluating reliability, and protecting privacy) higher DHL was positively associated with higher usage of trustworthy resources. Providing online information on COVID-19 at official university websites and conducting health talks or web-based information dissemination about the strategies for mental health challenges during pandemic could be beneficial to the students. Strengthening DHL among university students will enhance their critical thinking and evaluation of online resources, which could direct them to the quality and trustworthy information sources on COVID-19.

Predictors of eHealth Literacy and Its Associations with Preventive Behaviors, Fear of COVID-19, Anxiety, and Depression among Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: The infodemic has been co-existing with the COVID-19 pandemic with an influx of misinformation and conspiracy theories. These affect people’s psychological health and adherence to preventive measures. eHealth literacy (eHEALS) may help with alleviating the negative effects of the infodemic. As nursing students are future healthcare professionals, having adequate eHEALS skills is critically important in their clinical practice, safety, and health. This study aimed to (1) explore the eHEALS level and its associated factors, and (2) examine the associations of eHEALS with preventive behaviors, fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S), anxiety, and depression among nursing students. Methods: We surveyed 1851 nursing students from 7 April to 31 May 2020 from eight universities across Vietnam. Data were collected, including demographic characteristics, eHEALS, adherence to preventive behaviors (handwashing, mask-wearing, physical distancing), FCV-19S, anxiety, and depression. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed appropriately to examine associations. Results: The mean score of eHEALS was 31.4 ± 4.4. The eHEALS score was significantly higher in males (unstandardized regression coefficient, B, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI, 0.15 to 1.73; p = 0.019), and students with a better ability to pay for medication (B, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.39 to 1.19; p < 0.001), as compared to their counterparts. Nursing students with a higher eHEALS score had a higher likelihood of adhering to hand-washing (odds ratio, OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.22; p < 0.001), mask-wearing (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.19; p < 0.001), keeping a safe physical distance (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.25; p < 0.001), and had a lower anxiety likelihood (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92 to 0.99; p = 0.011). Conclusions: Nursing students who were men and with better ability to pay for medication had higher eHEALS scores. Those with higher eHEALS scores had better adherence to preventive measures, and better psychological health. The development of strategies to improve eHEALS of nursing students may contribute to COVID-19 containment and improve their psychological health.

Health Literacy Among University Students: A Systematic Review of Cross-Sectional Studies

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to provide an overview of cross-sectional studies that examined health literacy among university students and to identify possible determinants related to health literacy.

METHOD

The current review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were systematically searched for cross-sectional studies that examined health literacy among university students. Results of included studies were narratively summarized.

RESULTS

The systematic review includes twenty-one research studies. The majority of studies report health literacy scores among university students that are lower compared to reference samples. The health literacy of students is influenced by different variables (age, gender, number of semesters, course of studies/curriculum, parental education, and socioeconomic background).

DISCUSSION

Health literacy activities should target all students. Universities should make use of their resources and offer health literacy courses for students in which content is used from disciplines available at the university (e.g., medicine, health, or psychology). To increase effectiveness, health literacy courses should be adapted according to the different needs and characteristics of the student subgroups.

Exploring Predictors of eHealth Literacy Among Older Adults: Findings From the 2020 CALSPEAKS Survey

With the Internet continuously being used as a means of providing health education and promotion to the public, consumers are increasingly going online to gather pertinent health information. However, disparities exist with regards to consumers’ ability in finding, evaluating, and applying online health information (collectively referred to as eHealth literacy). Identifying these disparities may elucidate which segments of the population would benefit from targeted eHealth literacy interventions and ways to adapt online health promotion materials. This study uses data from the 2020 CALSPEAKS survey to identify disparities in eHealth literacy among older adults aged 65+ residing in California, USA (N = 237). eHealth literacy is self-assessed using the previously validated 8-item eHEALS questionnaire. Ordinary least squares regression analyses are performed on individual eHEALS items and on a summed eHealth literacy score, with demographic and technology use-related characteristics as predictors. Results show that the strongest and most consistent predictors of eHealth literacy include education, frequency of Internet use, and breadth of Internet activities regularly performed. Findings suggest that those seeking to increase eHealth literacy specifically among older Californians may benefit from tailoring their interventions and online health promotion materials towards those with less education and those with less Internet experience.

eHealth Literacy and Beliefs About Medicines Among Taiwanese College Students: Cross-sectional Study

Background

Good eHealth literacy and correct beliefs about medicines are beneficial for making good health care decisions and may further influence an individual's quality of life. However, few studies have discussed these two factors simultaneously. Moreover, gender differences are associated with health literacy and beliefs about medicines. Therefore, it is important to examine the multiple relationships between college students’ eHealth literacy and beliefs about medicines, as well as gender differences.

Objective

This study aims to (1) examine the multiple relationships between eHealth literacy and beliefs about medicines and (2) analyze gender differences in eHealth literacy and beliefs about medicines with Taiwanese college students.

Methods

We used a paper-and-pencil questionnaire that included age, gender, 3-level eHealth literacy, and beliefs about medicines to collect data. In total, 475 data points were obtained and analyzed through independent t tests and canonical correlation analyses.

Results

The t test (t₄₇₃=3.73; P<.001; t₄₇₃=–2.10; P=.04) showed that women had lower functional eHealth literacy and more specific concerns about medicines than men. Canonical correlation analyses indicated that the first and second canonical correlation coefficients between eHealth literacy and beliefs about medicines reached a significant level, implying that a multivariate relationship indeed existed.

Conclusions

These findings reveal that women in Taiwan have lower functional eHealth literacy and stronger concerns about medicines than men. In addition, students with higher eHealth literacy have more positive perceptions of and beliefs about medicines.

COVID-19 crisis: Influence of eHealth literacy on mental health promotion among Saudi nursing students

Objective

This study aims to determine the influence of eHealth literacy on mental health promotion among Saudi nursing students.

Method

This cross-sectional study was conducted from 19 April to 21 May 2020. A total of 468 nursing students responded to the self-administered online survey. Two instruments, namely, the eHealth Literacy Scale and the Positive Mental Health Scale, were used. Statistical tools such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used for the descriptive analysis. Multiple regression analysis was employed to analyse the relationship between eHealth literacy, health promotion, and its predictors.

Results

The results showed that 30.3% of nursing students were dissatisfied with their general health. Students perceived high self-assessed eHealth literacy and positive mental health. Students in the 4th year had lower scores than those of students in the 2nd year. Nursing students perceived that the quarantine and public social distancing lowered their mental health scores. Finally, the eHealth literacy mean scores resulted in a 0.21-point increase in the positive mental health scores.

Conclusion

The finding of the study shows that the eHealth literacy positively influnce the mental health status of Saudi Nursing students.

Association Between eHealth Literacy in Online Health Communities and Patient Adherence: Cross-sectional Questionnaire Study

Background

eHealth literacy is significantly associated with patients’ online information behavior, physician-patient relationship, patient adherence, and health outcomes. As an important product of the internet, online health communities (OHCs) can help redistribute idle medical resources, increase medical resource utilization, and improve patient adherence. However, studies on eHealth literacy in OHCs are limited. Therefore, this study examined patients’ eHealth literacy regarding health information–seeking behavior and physician-patient communication in OHCs.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the association between eHealth literacy in OHCs and patient adherence by employing social cognitive theory.

Methods

This was an empirical study, in which a research model consisting of 1 independent variable (patients’ eHealth literacy), 3 mediators (physician-patient communication in OHCs, patient health information–seeking behavior in OHCs, and patients’ perceived quality of health information in OHCs), 1 dependent variable (patient adherence), and 4 control variables (age, gender, living area, and education level) was established to examine the associations. Multi-item scales were used to measure variables. An anonymous online survey involving 560 participants was conducted through Chinese OHCs in July 2018 to collect data. Partial least squares and structural equation modeling were adopted to analyze data and test hypotheses.

Results

The survey response rate was 79.6% (446/560). The reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity were acceptable. Age, gender, living area, and education level were positively associated with patient adherence, and gender was positively associated with physician-patient communication and patients’ perceived quality of internet health information in OHCs. Patients’ eHealth literacy was positively associated with patient adherence through the mediations of physician-patient communication, internet health information–seeking behavior, and perceived quality of internet health information in OHCs.

Conclusions

Results indicate that physician-patient communication, internet health information–seeking behavior, and the perceived quality of internet health information are significantly associated with improving patient adherence via a guiding of eHealth literacy in OHCs. These findings suggest that physicians can understand and guide their patients’ eHealth literacy to improve treatment efficiency; OHCs’ operators should this strengthen the management of information quality, develop user-friendly features, and minimize the gap between the actual and perceived information quality.

Exploring health literacy and its associated factors among Palestinian university students: a cross-sectional study

Health literacy plays an important role in personal and community health. Since university is a turning point when young adults begin to take responsibility for their own health, understanding university students’ health literacy levels is crucial. To this end, we aimed to explore health literacy and its associated factors among Palestinian university students. We conducted a cross-sectional study at Birzeit University in the Ramallah district. We recruited 472 students using convenience sampling at six on-campus cafeterias. The 44-item Arabic version of the Health Literacy Questionnaire was used to measure students’ health literacy levels, while a locally developed distress scale was used to measure students’ distress levels. We stratified the multiple regression model for the health literacy score by gender. Students’ average total health literacy score was 135.3 (SD 20.9), with male students scoring significantly higher than female students. A higher health literacy score was significantly associated with having a father with a higher level of education, a higher frequency of medical checkups, higher self-reported health status, and consulting a higher number of sources for health-related information. High distress levels were associated with lower levels of health literacy, especially among female students. This study provides the first evidence on Palestinian university students’ health literacy levels. Tailored health education and promotion are required for students with low parental education and moderate to high distress. Future research is required to explain the gender differences in health literacy and distress among university students.

Health-promoting behaviors mediate the relationship between eHealth literacy and health-related quality of life among Chinese older adults: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to examine the association between eHealth literacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and explore whether health-promoting behaviors mediate the association between eHealth literacy and HRQoL among Chinese older adults.

METHODS

An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2300 adults aged 60 or older from Jinan, China. The eHealth Literacy Scale, Short-Form Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile, and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) were used to measure eHealth literacy, health-promoting behaviors, and HRQoL. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to test the association between eHealth literacy, health-promoting behaviors, and HRQoL. The mediation analyses, composed of PROCESS analysis and bootstrapping method, were preformed to test both total (c), direct (c'), and indirect effects (a*b) of eHealth literacy on HRQOL through health-promoting behaviors.

RESULTS

Regression analyses indicated that eHealth literacy (B = 0.487, p < 0.001) was significantly positively associated with health-promoting behaviors, and health-promoting behaviors (B = 0.257, p < 0.001) were associated with HRQoL. The mediation analyses indicated that eHealth literacy had a significant direct (c' = 0.183, p < 0.001) and indirect effect on older adults' HRQoL through health-promoting behaviors (a*b = 0.125, bootstrapped 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.094-0.157). The indirect effect accounted for 40.6% of the total effect (c = 0.308, bootstrapped 95% CI 0.241-0.376) of eHealth literacy on HRQoL.

CONCLUSIONS

Health-promoting behaviors mediated the association between eHealth literacy and HRQoL in Chinese older adults. The establishment of interventions focused on health-promoting behavior may be an effective way to help older adults with low eHealth literacy improve their HRQoL.

Healthcare-seeking behaviours in college students and young adults: a review

BACKGROUND/AIMS

To review the literature on college students' healthcare-seeking behaviours to uncover the current evidence and promote better healthcare-seeking behaviours and essentially better health outcomes in young adults.

METHODS

The researchers conducted an extensive literature review using CINAHL, Cochrane, PubMed, EBSCOhost and Google Scholar in the years 2018 and 2019. The search was limited to the past 18 years (2000-2018) and to studies reported in the English language focused on the general healthcare-seeking behaviour of college students. The search was also extended to young adults (aged 18-39 years).

RESULTS

A total of 56 articles were identified for abstract review and only 28 articles met the inclusion criteria for the final review. The following themes emerged to organise our findings: healthcare-seeking behaviour among college students, health information resource utilisation and its influence on healthcare-seeking behaviours and barriers to accessing care among college students.

CONCLUSIONS

This review summarises the current body of knowledge related to healthcare-seeking behaviour among college students, health information resource utilisation and its influence on healthcare-seeking behaviour and barriers to accessing care among this population. Important measures further to address the health needs and interventions for addressing these needs among the college student population are discussed.

COVID-19 information-related digital literacy among online health consumers in a low-income country

BACKGROUND

The internet has become an important source of health information among people across the globe. However, the novel coronavirus outbreak has led to a broader dissemination of fake and misleading health information. While health professionals may be able to critically evaluate internet-based information, the skills at finding, appraising, and using COVID-19-related online information may be problematic for laypeople in low-income countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the digital literacy of lay consumers of online COVID-19-related information in Ghana.

METHOD

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among online health consumers across five regions in Ghana. Participants were conveniently recruited through social media, and the survey was based on the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHeals) and administered through Qualtrics^xm software. We calculated the overall mean eHeals score to determine the literacy levels and performed descriptive statistics to describe the characteristics of the sample. Linear regression analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with respondents' digital literacy.

RESULT

Out of 700 respondents sent with a survey link, 325 responded (46.4 % response rate). The majority of the respondents were: younger than 31 years (M = 28.42, SD = 6.98), males (59.7 %), use the internet daily (94.4 %), engaged in social media activities (65 %), and frequently search the internet for information related to COVID-19. The overall eHealth literacy was quite high (M = 4.01, SD = 0.95), but respondents' scores on items 1 and 6 were relatively low. Sex, age, frequently searching the internet for COVID-19 information, using the internet for educational purposes, and having a little/adequate knowledge of COVID-19 was predictive of digital literacy.

CONCLUSION

The study revealed a high overall digital literacy as well as sex and age differences in literacy levels among online health consumers in Ghana. However, respondents' ability to locate COVID-19 related informaion and their skills in differentiating scientific from unscientific internet-based information remain relatively low. These findings offer useful insight that can inform the design of inclusive internet-based preventive resources that would be accessible and understandable to laypeople across all age groups and sexes in low-income countries.

The Associations Among Health-Promoting Lifestyle, eHealth Literacy, and Cognitive Health in Older Chinese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Healthy lifestyles and health literacy are strongly associated with cognitive health in older adults, however, it is unclear whether this relationship can be generalized to health-promoting lifestyles and eHealth literacy. To date, no research has examined the interactive effect of health-promoting lifestyles and eHealth literacy on cognitive health. Objective: To examine the associations among health-promoting lifestyles, eHealth literacy, and cognitive health in older adults. Methods: Using a stratified cluster sampling method, we conducted a survey with older adults in four districts and two counties in Jinan (China). Older adults (n = 1201; age ≥ 60 years) completed our survey. We assessed health-promoting lifestyles, eHealth literacy, and cognitive health, and collected participants’ sociodemographic information. Results: Health-promoting lifestyles and eHealth literacy were significantly and positively associated with cognitive health (both p < 0.01). In addition, eHealth literacy was positively associated with health-promoting lifestyles. Moreover, the interaction of health-promoting lifestyle and eHealth literacy negatively predicted cognitive health (β = −0.465, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Health-promoting lifestyles and eHealth literacy were associated with the cognitive health of Chinese older adults, both independently and interactively. Further, eHealth literacy was associated with health-promoting lifestyles in older adults. Therefore, interventions regarding healthy lifestyles and eHealth literacy would benefit older adults.

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

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