ArticleBMC public health2022
Differences in digital health literacy and future anxiety between health care and other university students in England during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article in BMC public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers.
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Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed.
- Get Health'e': A Pilot Test of a Digital Health Literacy Intervention for Young Adults.Health literacy research and practice · 2024Trial
- The association between digital health information acquisition and health-seeking behavior among university students.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Digital literacy competence among dental students: an assessment using a DigComp 2.2-based instrument.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Perceived Credibility of Health News and Its Relationship with Trust in Physicians and the Health Care System.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Understanding mental health disparities: a comparative study of depression and anxiety among health and non-health college track students.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Cultural Adaptation, Translation and Psychometric Validation of a Technology and eHealth Literacy Questionnaire Among Albanian Undergraduate Nursing Students.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2026Article
- Article
- Digital health literacy and trust in health information sources: A comparative study of university students in Japan, the United States, and India.SSM - population health · 2025Article
- Future anxiety mediates the relationship between organ donation and transplantation knowledge and health-related quality of life.World journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- Relationship between digital health literacy, distrust in the health system and health anxiety in health sciences students.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Digital health literacy and sociodemographic factors among students in western Iran: a cross-sectional study.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Health literacy and influencing factors in university students across diverse educational fields in Kazakhstan.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Relationship Between E-Health Literacy, Health Anxiety, Cyberchondria, and Death Anxiety in University Students That Study in Health Related Department.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2025Article
- Exploring Health Literacy Needs in Different Stages of Older Patients with COPD: An in-Depth Qualitative Study.Patient preference and adherence · 2025Article
- Factors influencing the public health emergency preparedness among Generation Z nursing interns in the post-pandemic era: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Association between social capital, mental health, and digital health literacy among the university students in China: a multigroup analysis based on major difference.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Digital health literacy and associated factors among internet users from China: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2024Article
- eHealth literacy of migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong in the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods study.PloS one · 2024Article
- Digital literacy as a new determinant of health: A scoping review.PLOS digital health · 2023Article
- Health Literacy and Anxiety Among Hemodialysis Patients During the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic [Letter].Psychology research and behavior management · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThis study investigates university students' digital health literacy and web-based information-seeking behaviours during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in England. It compares undergraduate and postgraduate students in non-health related subjects with health care students, many of whom were preparing for, or working in, frontline roles. The survey was conducted as part of a wider study by the COVID-HL research consortium.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among n = 691 university students aged ≥18 years from 25 universities across England using an adapted digital survey developed by COVID-HL. Data were collected regarding sociodemographic characteristics and specific measures drawn from the Future Anxiety Scale and the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI). These had been adapted for use in an English setting and to the specific context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other data collected included students' anxiety or worries about the future using the Dark Future Scale as well as behaviours in online information-seeking. Data were analysed using correlations to test for relationships between constructs and also between group comparisons to test for differences between students studying health and non-health related subjects.
resultsAcross digital health literacy dimensions, there was no significant difference between students studying health-related subjects and other students. Health care students did report greater difficulties in relation to how to behave online. They also relied less on public body sources for information about the pandemic. A significant difference was found between the two student populations in relation to their anxiety about the future with health care students reporting fewer fears about the future.
conclusionsAlthough digital health literacy is well developed in university students, a significant proportion of students still face difficulties with evaluating online information which may frustrate public health efforts. This could be addressed by ensuring health students' curriculum in particular encompasses digital health literacy.
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