The impact of digital health literacy on anxiety and preventive behaviors during the pandemic

BACKGROUND: From the pandemic's beginning, many authors suggested that digital health literacy (DHL) may be an important factor in protecting against araising misinformation and enhancing compliance with preventive behaviors. In this study, we analyzed the effect of DHL on future anxiety and generalized anxiety, as well as on adherence to preventive measures and COVID-19 vaccination uptake after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. METHODS: Data used in the analysis originated from the web-based survey carried out in a representative sample of 2189 Polish Internet users in the later phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effect of DHL on FA, GA, and APM after adjusting for SD factors was analyzed with multivariable linear regression and on C19VU with multivariable logistic regression. DHL was measured with an eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) consisting of 8 items. The effects of predictors in MLiR models were expressed as B coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (B; 95%CI) and in MLoR model as odds ratio and 95%CI (OR; 95%CI). RESULTS: Mean age (standard deviation, SD) of respondents was 44.1 (15.25) years, mean DHL measured with eHEALS was 28.91 (5.17). The analysis demonstrated that higher DHL was significantly associated with a higher level of FA (B; 95%CI: 0.07; 0.02-0.12) but with lower GA (B; 95%CI: -0.01; -0.016 - 0.03). Interestingly, higher DHL favored greater compliance with general PM (wearing the mask, washing hands, and keeping a social distance) (B; 95%CI: 0.04; 0.02 - 0.05). However, no effect was observed concerning C19VU (OR, 95%CI: 0.99; 0.97 - 1.01). CONCLUSIONS: The effect of DHL on the outcomes related to the pandemic is not consistent. Higher DHL seems to predict the perception of long-term consequences of the pandemic reflected by higher levels of FA. However, the level of GA shows the status of current anxiety is lower with persons with higher DHL. KEY MESSAGES: • The effects of digital health literacy are not fully consistent with predictions from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. • Digital health literacy is significantly associated with adherence to general pandemic preventive measures but not with readiness to get vaccinated against COVID-19.