Factors associated with eHealth literacy focusing on digital literacy components: A cross-sectional study of middle-aged adults in South Korea

Background Digital technology has dramatically changed the world in which we live, and the ability to access and understand information through these new technologies is becoming increasingly important. eHealth literacy is closely related to digital literacy, and some concepts may overlap to a certain extent. Identifying personal and digital-related factors related to eHealth literacy levels in middle-aged adults would be useful for planning tailored interventions and health promotion strategies. Objective We aimed to identify the differences in digital literacy and eHealth literacy levels according to demographic features, and to elucidate the factors associated with eHealth literacy in the middle-aged population. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional, observational study from 4th to 8th February 2021. A total of 320 South Korean participants aged 40-64 years were recruited and completed an online questionnaire, where demographic features, chronic disease status, frequency of Internet use, digital skills, digital competence, and eHealth literacy were measured. eHealth literacy was measured with the eHEALS. We used multiple regression analysis to elucidate the factors associated with eHealth literacy. Results Multiple regression analysis revealed that digital competence was the highest contributor to an individual's eHealth literacy (beta = 0.330, P < 0.001), while digital skills was not significantly associated with eHealth literacy (beta = 0.086, P = 0.267). In addition, eHealth literacy was positively associated with increasing age (beta = 0.258, P < 0.001), female gender (beta = -0.118, P = 0.022), and higher education levels (beta = 0.114, P = 0.041), while marital state, chronic disease, and frequency of internet use were not significantly associated with eHealth literacy. Conclusions Our study provides valuable information on digital literacy and eHealth literacy in middle-aged adults and may be used to guide tailored interventions for improving eHealth literacy. Future studies should consider the differences in digital literacy levels across generations when assessing eHealth literacy or planning digital health interventions.

Automated summary

This study aimed to identify the differences in digital literacy and eHealth literacy levels according to demographic features and elucidate the factors associated with eHealth literacy in middle-aged adults. The results showed that digital competence was the highest contributor to eHealth literacy, while digital skills did not significantly impact eHealth literacy. Furthermore, eHealth literacy was positively associated with increasing age, female gender, and higher education levels. Marital state, chronic disease, and frequency of internet use were not significantly associated with eHealth literacy.