ArticleBMC public health2025
Enhancing digital health literacy in adolescents: evaluation of a co-designed educational app.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Social Media Misinformation, Contraceptive Literacy, and Psychological Well-Being Among Romanian Adolescents and Young Adults.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Digital Engagement and Health Behaviors Among Village Health Volunteers in Southern Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Digital health literacy moderates the school sports environment and physical activity pathway among Chinese adolescents: a health equity perspective.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundWith more people turning to the unregulated environment of the internet for health information, digital health literacy is increasingly important to assess trustworthiness of online health information. Adolescents' digital health literacy has long been overlooked because of the false assumption that they possess advanced skills due to being raised in a digital age. It is important that adolescents are given opportunities to develop their digital health literacy, however there is a lack of relevant educational resources, especially self-directed online resources. With adolescents, we co-designed a digital health literacy educational resource. In this study we aimed to evaluate its effectiveness at enhancing adolescents' digital health literacy.
methodsThe study utilised a pre/post mixed-method design with 12-17-year-olds. One-on-one video conference meetings were held with participants. Participants completed a digital health literacy self-assessment survey and practical search task before and after using the brief educational resource misAdventures (10-15 min), then completed an evaluation survey. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics; the search task was analysed using an observational checklist; inductive content analysis of qualitative data identified key themes in search and appraisal behaviours.
resultsFor most of the 30 participants, there was a general increase in self-assessed digital health literacy post-intervention. Improvements in appraising the trustworthiness of online health information were seen across multiple search and appraisal skills, including choosing government or official health websites and cross-checking information. Most participants combed through search engine results listings to identify trustworthy sources rather than relying on Google suggestions or the top search result. Some skills, such as investigating bias, were not demonstrated pre- or post-intervention. Evaluation survey results indicated the app was easy to use (100% agreement), with 90% of participants reporting they could see they were learning while using the app and it would change how they use online health information.
conclusionUse of the co-designed educational resource misAdventures improved adolescents' digital health literacy and self-efficacy. Adolescents acknowledged they learnt through using the app and believed it would change the way they used online health information. A brief, self-directed digital educational resource can improve adolescents' ability and disposition to identify trustworthy health information online and on social media.
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