eHealth Literacy and Self-care Behavior during the Coronavirus Disease-19 Pandemic among Youths: A Path Analysis

Daniel Chriswinanto Adityo  Nugroho; Dedik Sulistiawan; Riza Fatma Arifa; Maria Gayatri; Mardiana Dwi Puspitasari; Fuad Wahyu Prabowo

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2021.6664

Authors

Daniel Chriswinanto Adityo Nugroho Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Yogyakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4933-1540
Dedik Sulistiawan Department of Public Health, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3664-580X
Riza Fatma Arifa National Population and Family Planning Board, Special Region of Yogyakarta Representative, Yogyakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3874-8463
Maria Gayatri National Population and Family Planning Board, Jakarta, Indonesia
Mardiana Dwi Puspitasari National Population and Family Planning Board, Jakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6827-3350
Fuad Wahyu Prabowo Graduate Program, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0742-9390

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2021.6664

Keywords:

Youth, eHealth literacy, Information-seeking, Pandemic, Self-care behavior

Abstract

BACKGROUND: eHealth literacy can affect one’s health behavior through the intention to motivate individuals and allow them to make health-related choices.

AIM: This study aimed to examine the association between eHealth literacy and self-care behavior among youths in Yogyakarta during the coronavirus disease pandemic.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 455 never-married youths aged 15–24 years who lived in Yogyakarta Province completed the online survey that was conducted from October 5 to October 19, 2020. There were some indicators measured in the survey: eHealth Literacy, health information-seeking behavior, the intention of health maintenance, self-maintenance of health behavior, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and attitude toward health maintenance. Path analysis was conducted to determine the influencing factors of eHealth literacy and self-care behavior.

RESULTS: Five in 10 youths accessed the internet more than 4 hours a day, though more than half of youths had low eHealth literacy levels. Intention (β = 0.09; 95% CI = 0.01–0.18; p = 0.037), perceived behavioral control (β = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.38–0.54; p ≤ 0.001), and subjective norms (β = 0.24; 95% CI = 0.16–0.33; p ≤ 0.001) had a significant positive direct effect on youth self-care behavior. Attitude indirectly affects self-care behavior through the intention (β = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.39–0.53; p ≤ 0.001) together with eHealth literacy (β = 0.11; 95% CI= 0.04–0.18; p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Health literacy does not explicitly affect youths’ self-care behavior, but it becomes crucial when it builds youths’ intention to behave healthier. The positive impact of intention to enhance self-health care seems to have occurred only if eHealth literacy was adopted.

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