Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on E-health Literacy among FAHS Undergraduates of KDU

Abstract

Studies have recorded the usefulness and the instances where e-health was misused due to lack of knowledge. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practice on e-health literacy among allied health undergraduates. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 407 allied health undergraduates of Kotelawala Defence University in 2020. The convenience sampling was followed due to its feasibility during the Covid-19 pandemic situation. A self-administered questionnaire was used. Descriptive analysis was performed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of e-health followed by linear regression to identify the factors associated with e-Health literacy. The e-health knowledge was measured using a validated e-health literacy scale (e-HEALS). The majority of participants were females (76.9%). The mean scores of e-health knowledge and attitude were, 28.83 (SD ±5.30), and 29.76 (SD ±5.39), respectively. High e-health literacy was noted among 84.02%. Mobile health applications were used by 48.4% to access a variety of health-related information. A significant association was noted with females and the frequency of mobile health application use rather than with males (p<0.05). There was a significant relationship between e-health literacy and the intake of students (p<0.05). Attitude increased significantly with intake and degree followed (p<0.05). The study confirmed that e-health literacy of allied health sciences students was at a satisfactory level. This study revealed new paths for conducting further studies by healthcare professionals to assess the ability of e-health use for the betterment of patient care.