Standardization of eHealth Literacy Scale scores for assessing digital health literacy

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the normative data of the scores of the Brazilian version of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHeals) instrument for assessing digital health literacy. Method: cross-sectional study with 502 Brazilian adults in 2019. Data collected using the eHeals instrument and sociodemographic questionnaire. Decision trees and discriminant analysis were applied. Study approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Results: Discriminant analysis determined the eHeals classification ranges based on the distribution of scores. The decision tree indicated that education significantly affected the scale results. Thus, individual s with incomplete elementary school education up to II: low (up to 10), medium (11 to 25), high (27 to 40), and higher education: low (up to 25), medium (25 to 32) and high LDS (33 to 40). Conclusion: the classification of digital health literacy levels using eHeals in adults should be controlled by the participants' education levels.