Electronic Health Literacy as a Source of Self-Efficacy Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

Objectives: Health-related factors, such as health status, health anxiety, and health literacy, are established contributors to self-efficacy. However, the relationship between electronic health literacy and self-efficacy is less known. The present study examined the role of electronic health literacy in relation to self-efficacy among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Cross-sectional survey data were collected in the United States between September 2022 and March 2023. The survey dataset consisted of 191 responses from individuals in the United States who were ages 65 or older. It provided information about survey respondents’ sociodemographic status, perceived health status, health anxiety, electronic health literacy, and self-efficacy. Hierarchical linear regression was conducted to analyze the data. Results: Electronic health literacy was positively related to self-efficacy, and health anxiety was negatively related to self-efficacy, with sociodemographic status and perceived health status controlled. Conclusions: The results indicate that electronic health literacy can be a source of self-efficacy among community-dwelling older adults. Clinical Implications: Improving older adults’ electronic health literacy may help them maintain self-efficacy, and the improvement should be made, especially in the domains of evaluating health information found on the internet and making decisions based on the information.