Adolescents' online health information seeking: Trust, e-health literacy, parental influence, and AI-generated credibility

Abstract

Adolescents increasingly turn to online sources for health information, raising concerns about the credibility of information and its impact on their behaviors. This study explores the factors shaping adolescents' online health information seeking (OHIS) behaviors. The study surveyed 381 adolescents to assess trust in online health information, eHealth literacy, parental behaviors, and AI-generated credibility scores. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze data and test hypotheses based on the Social Cognitive Theory. Trust in online health information positively influenced disease-related OHIS behaviors (β = 0.24, p < 0.05) and fitness-related OHIS behaviors (β = 0.18, p < 0.05). Higher eHealth literacy correlated with increased disease-related OHIS behaviors (β = 0.32, p < 0.05) and fitness-related OHIS behaviors (β = 0.28, p < 0.05). Parental OHIS behaviors influenced adolescents' disease-related OHIS behaviors (β = 0.16, p < 0.05) and fitness-related OHIS behaviors (β = 0.22, p < 0.05). Parental OHIS mediation positively mediated these relationships (H7, H8). Higher AI-generated credibility scores associated with more disease-related OHIS behaviors (β = 0.20, p < 0.05) and fitness-related OHIS behaviors (β = 0.15, p < 0.05). Adolescents' eHealth literacy mediated these relationships (H11, H12). Trust, eHealth literacy, parental influence, and AI-generated credibility play vital roles in shaping ado-lescents' OHIS behaviors. Educators should prioritize enhancing eHealth literacy and promoting credible online sources to improve adolescents' health information seeking practices. This study contributes insights into the factors influencing adolescents' OHIS behaviors, emphasizing the role of parental mediation and AI-generated credibility scores. The findings inform the development of targeted health education interventions to encourage responsible online health information seeking among adolescents.