Assessment of e-Health Literacy Levels among Students of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences in 2023

Rashidmardan, Zahra; Amanzadeh, Masoud; Naemi, Roya

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Assessment of e-Health Literacy Levels among Students of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences in 2023

Zahra Rashidmardan

, Masoud Amanzadeh ^*

, Roya Naemi

Department of Health Information Management, School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran. , m.amanzadeh@arums.ac.ir

Abstract: (18 Views)

Background: Electronic health literacy refers to the skills and ability to search for, find, understand, and evaluate health information from electronic sources and to apply this information to address or manage a specific health problem. Accordingly, the present study was conducted to assess the level of e-health literacy among students of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences in 2023.
Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study collected data using the standardized eHEALS questionnaire from all students of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences. The sample size was estimated at 250 students, and the online questionnaire was distributed using a simple random sampling method. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics (one-way ANOVA and independent t-test) with SPSS software version 26.
Results: The mean electronic health literacy score of the students was 36.00±4.00. Examination of literacy levels showed that 94.4% of students were at a moderate level and 5.6% at a high level, with no students at a low level. Statistical tests revealed that only the field of study had a significant association with electronic health literacy (p=0.001), whereas gender (p=0.971), educational level (p=0.822), year of university entry (p=0.715), and internet access tool (p=0.506) had no significant associations.
Conclusion: Considering the moderate level of electronic health literacy among students, special attention to educational planning is essential. This can be achieved through workshops and training courses, raising awareness about accessing online health information, and teaching how to evaluate health information available on the internet. Institutions such as the Ministry of Health and Medical Education can play a significant role in the continuation and improvement of health system digitalization and in enhancing students’ electronic health literacy through such programs.

Keywords: Electronic Health, Electronic Health literacy, Health Information, Technology

Full-Text [PDF 518 kb] (13 Downloads)

Type of Study: article | Subject: General
Received: 2025/09/15 | Accepted: 2025/10/18

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