Influence of digital health literacy on online health-related behaviors influenced by internet advertising

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 1949 - 8
• Main Authors: de Oliveira Collet, Giulia, de Morais Ferreira, Fernanda, Ceron, Daniela Fernandes, de Lourdes Calvo Fracasso, Marina, Santin, Gabriela Cristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 20.07.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Advertising - methods; Advertising - statistics & numerical data; Analysis; Brazil; Cellular telephones; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dentistry; Dentists; Digital media; Divorce; E-health; eHealth Strategies; Female; Health aspects; Health Behavior; Health education; Health literacy; Health Literacy - statistics & numerical data; Higher education; Humans; Influence; Information processing; Information retrieval; Information Seeking Behavior; Internet; Internet access; Internet/Web advertising; Literacy; Male; Marital status; Middle Aged; Minimum wage; Oral Health; Oral hygiene; Population studies; Public opinion; Questionnaires; Secondary schools; Social behavior; Social Media; Social Media - statistics & numerical data; Social networks; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telemedicine; Young Adult; Brazil; eHealth Strategies; Health literacy; Social Media
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19506-6

The frequency of health-related information seeking on the internet and social media platforms has increased remarkably. Thus, the ability to understand and select accurate health-related information online, known as EHealth literacy, is crucial for the population. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how eHealth literacy influences the critical analysis of oral health-related information obtained from the Internet and its influence on oral health-related behaviors.  METHODS: A cross-sectional online study was conducted with 418 Brazilian adults who responded to the eHEALS questionnaire, with questions regarding the influence of online information on oral health decisions. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics were also collected. The mean eHEALS score was 27.85 (± 8.13), with a range spanning from 8 to 40 points. Participants with higher eHEALS scores reported using social media platforms to seek for dentists and to acque information about symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments. Furthermore, this group tended not to disregard professional health recommendations based on Internet information and abstained from utilizing products promoted by digital influencers. In multivariate models, increased eHEALS scores were associated with reduced consumption of products endorsed by digital influencers. The findings from this study suggest that individuals with higher scores on the eHealth literacy questionnaire often conduct research on their health status and seek for health care providers on the Internet. Moreover, these individuals were less likely to be influenced by digital influencers.