Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40399824›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Co-designing an online educational resource to help adolescents improve their digital health literacy.

Marc A Aloi, Patrina H Y Caldwell, Melody Taba, Melissa Kang, S Rachel Skinner, Liam Bray, Karen M Scott

Erratum issuedAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Marc A AloiSpecialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-6163-3108
Patrina H Y CaldwellSpecialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1124-6578
Melody TabaSpecialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2954-1092
Melissa KangGeneral Practice Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9438-2518
S Rachel SkinnerSpecialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1970-9792
Liam BraySydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0620-2490
Karen M ScottSpecialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia. karen.scott@sydney.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0721-6675

Funding

The University of Sydney DVCR Strategic Research Impact Proof of Concept grant DVCR POC SOCE 20-2023
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDigital media is ubiquitous in adolescents' lives and provides many opportunities to engage with health information. However, there is an increased risk of engaging with inaccurate or biased health information on the internet, resulting in poor health-related behaviours. As such, adolescents would benefit from improving their digital health literacy (DHL). There are limited education tools in DHL that are interactive and relatable for adolescents. A co-design approach can incorporate adolescents' perspectives in designing an education tool to ensure its relevance.

aimsThis study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the co-design approach in creating an educational resource designed to improve adolescents' DHL.

methodsThree workshops were conducted with adolescents (12-17 years) to explore their DHL habits and education needs, evaluate an existing DHL educational app, co-design new storylines to better meet their needs and beta test the expanded resource. Data was collected through creation of storyboards, annotated posters and worksheets. Data analysis of these artefacts was undertaken through content analysis to identify themes and sub-themes.

resultsForty-four participants attended two co-design workshops. Participants preferred using video-based social media and considered using artificial intelligence (AI) tools for extracting online health information. They designed storylines involving health topics such as dietary supplements, fitness and mental health. Storylines focused on identifying trustworthy online health information sources and dealing with concerns regarding scams, social media influencers and misinformation conveyed by parents. Eight participants who attended the beta-testing workshop positively evaluated the app as engaging and relatable. DISCUSSION: This study clarified the DHL educational needs of adolescents. In particular, it demonstrated the need to include other media literacies, the use of AI tools and interactions with family in the resource to maximise relevance to adolescents.

conclusionThe co-design methodology was useful for understanding adolescents' DHL lived experiences and developing an engaging educational resource to help them navigate and appraise online health information.

Indexed as

Health EducationHealth LiteracyInternetSocial MediaAdolescentChildFemaleHumansMaleAdolescent healthCo-designDigital health literacyeHealth literacyHealth educationOnline health informationYoung people

Identifiers

PMID40399824
PMCPMC12093690

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.