The relationship between eHealth literacy level and selected health behaviors among adolescents

Aim This study aimed to investigate the relationship between eHealth literacy levels and selected health behaviors of adolescents. Subject and methods A total of 1349 students from public schools in a city in Turkey participated in the study during 2019-2020. This cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire form including sociodemographic characteristics, selected health behaviors, behaviors towards technology use, and eHealth literacy scale. Results Adequate eHealth literacy was found to be 1.44 times (OR: 1.44, 95% Cl: 1.11-1.6) higher in those who measured blood pressure, 2.32 times (OR:2.32, 95% CL: 1.48-3.62) higher in those who measured body weight, 1.57 times (OR: 1.57, 95% CL: 1.08-2.29) higher in those who exercised regularly, and 1.60 times (OR: 1.60, 95% CL: 1.22-2.10) higher in those who conducted health-related research in the last year. Conclusion The level of eHealth literacy in the study sample was found to be low. No measurement of blood pressure and body weight, no regular exercise, and no research on health-related issues in the last year were selected health behaviors that pose a risk for poor eHealth literacy. Positive developments in adolescent health behaviors play a key role in developing adequate eHealth literacy skills.