Shaojie Li1, Guanghui Cui2, Atipatsa Chiwanda Kaminga3,4, Sixiang Cheng1, Huilan Xu5. 1. Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, CN. 2. School of Acupuncture and Tuina,Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, CN. 3. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Mzuzu University, Luwinga, MW. 4. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, CN. 5. Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, 238 Shangmayuanling Changsha, 410078 China, Changsha, CN.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internet has significantly spread information, providing people with knowledge and advice about health protection for COVID-19. While a previous study demonstrated that health and eHealth literacy are related to COVID-19 prevention behaviors, few studies have focused on the relationship between health literacy, eHealth literacy, and COVID-19-related health behaviors. The latter includes not only preventative behaviors but also conventional health behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop and verify a COVID-19-related health behaviors questionnaire and explore its status and structure and examined the associations between these behaviors, their health literacy, and eHealth literacy. METHODS: A snowball sampling method was adopted to conduct anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire surveys online that assessed sociodemographic information, self-reported coronavirus knowledge, health literacy, eHealth literacy, and COVID-19-related health behaviors. RESULTS: Of 1,873 college students who were recruited, 781 (41.7%) had adequate health literacy; the mean eHealth literacy score was 30.16 (SD: 6.31). COVID-19-related health behavior questionnaire presented a two-factor structure (named as COVID-specific precautionary behaviors and conventional health behaviors), with satisfactory fit indices, internal consistency (.79). The mean score of COVID-19-related health behaviors was 53.77 (SD: 8.03), and its scores differed significantly (P < .05) with respect to residence, grade level, academic major, family economic level, self-reported health status, having a family member or friend infected with coronavirus, and health literacy level. Linear regression analysis showed that health literacy and eHealth literacy were positively associated with COVID-specific precautionary behaviors (βhealth literacy = .149, βeHealth literacy = .368, P < .001) and conventional health behaviors (βhealth literacy = .219, βeHealth literacy = .277, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19-related health behavior questionnaire was a valid and reliable for assessing the health behaviors during the pandemic. College students with a higher health and eHealth literacy can more actively adopt COVID-19-related health behaviors. Additionally, compared to health literacy, eHealth literacy is more closely related to COVID-19-related health behaviors. Public intervention measures based on health and eHealth literacy are required to promote COVID-19-related health behaviors during the pandemic, which may be helpful to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection among college students.
BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internet has significantly spread information, providing people with knowledge and advice about health protection for COVID-19. While a previous study demonstrated that health and eHealth literacy are related to COVID-19 prevention behaviors, few studies have focused on the relationship between health literacy, eHealth literacy, and COVID-19-related health behaviors. The latter includes not only preventative behaviors but also conventional health behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop and verify a COVID-19-related health behaviors questionnaire and explore its status and structure and examined the associations between these behaviors, their health literacy, and eHealth literacy. METHODS: A snowball sampling method was adopted to conduct anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire surveys online that assessed sociodemographic information, self-reported coronavirus knowledge, health literacy, eHealth literacy, and COVID-19-related health behaviors. RESULTS: Of 1,873 college students who were recruited, 781 (41.7%) had adequate health literacy; the mean eHealth literacy score was 30.16 (SD: 6.31). COVID-19-related health behavior questionnaire presented a two-factor structure (named as COVID-specific precautionary behaviors and conventional health behaviors), with satisfactory fit indices, internal consistency (.79). The mean score of COVID-19-related health behaviors was 53.77 (SD: 8.03), and its scores differed significantly (P < .05) with respect to residence, grade level, academic major, family economic level, self-reported health status, having a family member or friend infected with coronavirus, and health literacy level. Linear regression analysis showed that health literacy and eHealth literacy were positively associated with COVID-specific precautionary behaviors (βhealth literacy = .149, βeHealth literacy = .368, P < .001) and conventional health behaviors (βhealth literacy = .219, βeHealth literacy = .277, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS:COVID-19-related health behavior questionnaire was a valid and reliable for assessing the health behaviors during the pandemic. College students with a higher health and eHealth literacy can more actively adopt COVID-19-related health behaviors. Additionally, compared to health literacy, eHealth literacy is more closely related to COVID-19-related health behaviors. Public intervention measures based on health and eHealth literacy are required to promote COVID-19-related health behaviors during the pandemic, which may be helpful to reduce the risk of COVID-19infection among college students.
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