SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2025
eHealth Literacy and Its Outcomes Among Postsecondary Students: Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- E-healthy diet literacy is associated with psychological well-being and diet-related risk behaviors among university students in Türkiye: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Associations of critical thinking and social media addiction with eHealth literacy among adolescent social media users.BMC nursing · 2026Article
- Latent profiles of HPV vaccine-related health beliefs and their associations with vaccination intention among college students: a global health perspective.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Critical and interactive digital health literacy and health information adoption among college students: a cross-sectional serial mediation study from a health communication perspective.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- eHealth literacy, health self-efficacy, and health-promoting lifestyle among vocational college students: a latent profile and mediation analysis study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- E-health literacy status and its influencing factors among college students majoring in sports.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Gender disparities in eHealth literacy among Chinese university students and their decomposition.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Associations of electronic health literacy with related factors in individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer: a cross-sectional analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundeHealth literacy is essential for postsecondary students; however, few studies have systematically reviewed its levels and related outcomes in this population.
objectiveThis study aims to systematically review the existing literature on eHealth literacy levels and the associated outcomes among postsecondary students.
methodsWe systematically searched the PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Library, APA PsycInfo and APA PsycArticles, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Base, and OpenGrey databases for studies published from 2006 to July 01, 2024, following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies were eligible if they were quantitative research papers, assessed eHealth literacy, described the relationship between eHealth literacy and other outcomes, and included postsecondary students. The risk of bias was assessed using the modified Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies.
resultsA total of 89 cross-sectional studies were included from among 45,168 eHealth literacy-related publications, with 68 rated as high quality and 21 as moderate quality. Various assessment tools were used across studies, with the eHealth Literacy Scale being the most commonly used (56/89, 63%). Reported eHealth literacy total scores ranged from 23.6 (SD 6.8) to 31.4 (SD 4.4), and mean item scores ranged from 3.42 (SD 0.61) to 4.10 (SD 0.56). Associated outcomes were grouped into cognitive, emotional, and behavioral domains. eHealth literacy was positively associated with cognitive outcomes, including health knowledge, self-efficacy, disease prevention behaviors, and health attitudes. Regarding emotional outcomes, eHealth literacy was linked to higher psychosocial well-being, more positive emotions, and lower negative emotions; however, its associations with overall well-being, depression, and COVID-19 fear were inconclusive. Regarding behavioral outcomes, eHealth literacy was associated with greater use of electronic information, disease prevention practices, volunteerism, and clinical decision-making. Its relationships with health care use, social media engagement, and healthy living were more complex and context-dependent.
conclusionseHealth literacy among postsecondary students ranges from moderate-low to moderate-high, with variations due to inconsistent assessment tools. It shows positive associations with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes, though links to healthy living, digital and health service engagement, and certain psychosocial aspects remain complex. Future research should standardize measurements and explore the mechanisms across disciplines and cultures to guide effective health promotion.
trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42024559587; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024559587.
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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.