Exploring e-health literacy among students of sports vs. medical students

Introduction/Aim: Data about electronic health (eHealth) literacy and potential differences in eHealth literacy between university students are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate eHealth literacy in students of sports and medicine and to assess the factors associated with better eHealth literacy. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from April to October 2017 among final year students of the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia. A total of 89 sports students and 301 medical students were included. The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) was used to evaluate eHealth literacy. Results: Compared with sports students, medical students had higher median eHEALS score (27 vs. 30, respectively, p=0.008). Medical students were twice as confident as sports students in their efforts to locate helpful online health resources and use online health information. A significant hierarchical linear regression model was not obtained in the sample of sports students regarding predictors of better eHealth literacy. In the sample of medical students, the following was associated with better self-perceived eHealth literacy: being female, residing outside of the capital before becoming a student, younger age at the time of the first Internet use, the use of health-related websites and smartphone apps as well as lower influence of online health-related information on decision making regarding health. Conclusion: Medical students were more confident in perceiving their eHealth literacy skills compared to sports students. The factors associated with better eHealth literacy may depend on the fields of study.