The Mediating Role of Students' Health Information Literacy Skills: Exploring the Relationship Between Web Resource Utilization and Health Information Evaluation Proficiency.

BACKGROUND: In an increasingly digital age, students rely heavily on web resources to access health information. However, evaluating the reliability and relevance of such information is crucial for informed decision-making. This study examines the importance of students' health information literacy skills (HILS) as mediators, particularly their ability to utilize web resources and successfully evaluate health information. OBJECTIVES: This research investigates the mediating role of students' HILS in the relationship between their utilization of web resources and their proficiency in evaluating health information. METHOD: An online survey was distributed to current students at a public university in Bangladesh as part of the data collection process for this study. Using Google Forms, the authors created a structured questionnaire. The survey was distributed through Messenger groups, Facebook pages and email invitations to reach the target audience effectively. The researchers thoroughly analysed the gathered data using structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques and SmartPLS-4 software to look for correlations between the variables. RESULT: The study revealed that among the 122 participants, a significant number (N = 47) accessed internet health information on an occasional basis, whereas 30 individuals reported using it infrequently. The data revealed that 58 individuals, accounting for 47.5% of the sample, possessed the necessary abilities to access and assess online health information. Additionally, 57 participants, representing 46.7% of the sample, demonstrated proficiency in conducting online health information searches. The measurement model demonstrated good convergent validity, as evidenced by composite reliability (CR) scores and Cronbach's ⍺ values over 0.700 and an average extracted variance (AVE) of 0.500. The structural model demonstrated R2 values exceeding 0.1, thus validating its dependable forecasting capability. Notable effects were seen, with f2 values of 0.335 and 0.317 for the challenges in accessing and evaluating health information (CAEHI) to health information evaluation (HIE) and CAEHI to HILS relationships, respectively. The mediation analysis found that HILS act as a mediator between types of web resources (TWRs) and HIE, with TWR having an indirect impact on HIE through HILS. DISCUSSION: The result supports all hypotheses. Therefore, it is evident that students' HILS mediate the relationship between utilization of web resources and their proficiency in evaluating health information. CONCLUSION: This study's findings could significantly impact instructional practices meant to raise students' health information literacy. This initiative seeks to enable students to make informed decisions about their health by providing them with the necessary tools to analyse and evaluate health-related information. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Research on health information literacy can assist patients and the general public by instructing them on how to assess trustworthy online health resources. Students gave insightful feedback that assisted in shaping the study and guaranteeing its relevancy. If they better comprehend health information literacy, patients and the general public can use web-based resources and critically evaluate health information more accurately.

Promoting nutrition literacy in children: a case study of a community partnership between a university and an elementary school.

Background: Health literacy outreach is commonplace within public and hospital libraries but less so in academic libraries, where it is often viewed as not integral. Academic health science libraries may collaborate with public libraries to provide public health information literacy programming or "train the trainer" sessions, but examples of academic health science librarians leading community health initiatives are still limited. Case Presentation: This case report discusses a collaborative project between Gonzaga's Foley Center Library, the School of Nursing and Human Physiology, and a local elementary school to promote health literacy for students and their families, led by an Academic Health Sciences Librarian. The project scope included delivering nutrition education to elementary school students and their families, but pandemic closures limited plans for in-person programming. Conversations with stakeholders led to additional project opportunities, including tabling at the local block party, collaborating on a campus visit for 5th and 6th graders, supporting middle school cooking classes, and the creation of a toolkit for elementary and middle school teachers to support curriculum about healthy body image and potential disordered eating. Conclusion: This project demonstrates one example of how academic libraries can partner with other campus departments to support health literacy outreach in their local communities. The pandemic made planning for in-person programming tenuous, but by expanding meetings to include staff from other areas of the university, the project team was able to tap into additional outreach opportunities. This work fostered close relationships with the local elementary school, providing the groundwork for collaborative health programming in the future, though more thorough assessment is suggested for future projects.

Media exposure, trustworthiness of sources and the health information literacy knowledge gap: a study in China.

Health information literacy (HIL), as an essential part of the wellbeing of citizens, is a crucial indicator used to measure a country's primary public health level. The present study collected 1051 samples in southern China to examine the factors predicting HIL. The results showed that males, those less educated, and older adults had lower HIL. Television exposure, unofficial Internet exposure, trust in government and trust in doctors and medical institutions were positively associated with HIL. In contrast, newspapers, radio exposure and trust in web celebrities were negatively associated with HIL. Official Internet media exposure helps to bridge the HIL knowledge gap generated by differences in education level, while trust in celebrities-especially web celebrities-could widen the HIL knowledge gap. This study extends the knowledge gap theory in health communication in the Chinese context and provides pathways for future health interventions.

Embedded librarians: An innovative experience in health and wellness communication.

The article discusses the experiences of Italian librarians taking part in an institutional project to produce a new general-public-oriented health web portal. The web portal was set up to provide verified and easily understandable health information, and to debunk health-related fake news circulating on the internet. The different roles, knowledge and skills acquired in during the project this are discussed and show how the librarian's knowledge and skills were of fundamental importance for the success of the Web Portal. By collaborating with other professions new skills such as social media management, video creation and Search Engine Optimization were gained, which enhanced the information literacy role of the service.

[How do Polish workers respond to the information concerning health-oriented lifestyle?] / Jak polscy pracownicy reaguja na informacje dotyczace prozdrowotnego stylu zycia?

BACKGROUND: Information overload, including commercial ones, about healthy lifestyle, is a challenge for perception of health education. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The empirical data gathered from 100 employees in 2010 by means of free interviews with a standardized list of required information, aimed at analyzing a feeling of pressure to lead a healthy lifestyle, including reactions to meassages provided by the media. RESULTS: Respondents feel pressure associated with a healthy lifestyle from doctors, the state, relatives, friends and themselves. They accept pressure exerted by doctors and appreciate it from relatives and friends, however, the latter may stimulate adverse behavior. As a negative pressure they perceive that imposed by the media, government's shifting the responsibility for citizens' health, information overload contradictory to their own knowledge, unattainable recommendations and their volatility. Such pressure evokes conviction for their own resistance or rejection of the messages. They criticize the media for promoting unhealthy behavior, attending interests of advertisers, hiding information about harmful environmental influence. They appreciate the media for facilitating learning about health and preventive examinations. Health education messages are only occasionally identified by better educated people. CONCLUSIONS: "Dense" information environment is a hostile background for health education. An excess of critically evaluated information evokes pressure and lack of trust in information. Therefore, health education should facilitate the identification of its contents, avoid normative methods, limit the number of guidelines and better explain the faced changes, counteract tendencies to associate healthy lifestyle mainly with consumer behaviors, teach how to maintain self orientation in information overload conditions, and build up awareness of one's own brand. Med Pr 2017;68(4):525-543.

Community needs assessment to reach out to an underserved population.

A community-based participatory research project was conducted to identify health information needs of clients (an underserved population) at a homeless shelter. Staff at the shelter, medical students, and public librarians were sought as outreach partners; their needs and challenges in accessing health information resources to serve underserved populations were also assessed. The community needs assessment yielded results that helped shape a medical library's efforts in supporting medical students' service-learning activities related to humanistic education. The resulting data also informed library decisions on health information education outreach programs tailored to vulnerable, underserved populations and community partners serving the specific populations in the communities.

Health information literacy among children with spinal muscular atrophy and their caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive motor neuron disease that leads to multiple organ dysfunction. The advent of disease-modifying treatments makes the early diagnosis of SMA critical. Health information literacy is vital for obtaining, understanding, screening, and using health information. Considering the importance of early diagnosis and the challenges in obtaining accurate information on patients with SMA, this cross-sectional study assessed health information literacy among children with SMA and their caregivers in China. METHODS: Interviews with the caregivers of 10 patients with SMA were conducted by neurologists specializing in SMA. A questionnaire for evaluating the level of health information literacy was further developed among 145 children with SMA aged 10.0-120.0 months, with the average age of 81.9 months, and their caregivers. Parameters, such as the age at the onset of the first symptom and time from recognition of the first symptom to diagnosis, were examined. Health information literacy was measured using four dimensions: cognition, search, evaluation, and application. RESULTS: The average time from the first symptom to first medical consultation was 4.8 months, and that from the first symptom to diagnosis was 10.8 months. There is a significant delay from the onset of the initial symptoms to a definitive diagnosis. Thirty-five (24%) patients had poor while 26 (18%) had high health information literacy. The overall score for health information literacy was 69; the scores for health information cognition and application were 90 and 84, respectively. The scores for evaluation (61) and search (57) were low. Medical personnel were considered the most professional and credible sources of information. Additionally, search engines and patient organizations were the other two most important sources of health literacy. CONCLUSION: Patients with SMA and their caregivers had low levels of health information literacy. SMA information visibility and standardization need to be improved. Medical personnel with experience in the diagnosis and treatment of SMA and media should aim to share knowledge and increase the quality of life of those with SMA.

Clinical Evaluation of a Lay-Language Radiology Glossary Integrated into an Electronic Health Record System.

Radiology reports typically contain complex, technical language that can pose a barrier to patients, especially to those with limited educational attainment or literacy skills. PORTER-the Patient-Oriented Radiology Reporter system-incorporates a lay-language glossary to help patients understand radiology report content. The system displays illustrations and definitions of radiology terms when viewing a report. A large U.S. health system integrated PORTER into the patient portal of its electronic health record (EHR) system and evaluated its use during a 7-month study period. Of 4,664 concepts defined in its glossary, 4,607 (98%) were readable at the 8th-grade level. Of 10,859 patients who completed a single-question survey, 6,947 (64%) found the system to be helpful or very helpful. A system that integrates illustrations and lay-language definitions of medical terms into a patient portal can help patients better understand the reports of their radiology examinations. Such a system has potential to improve communication for patients with limited health literacy.

Assessing the Quality and Reliability of Cardiac Rehabilitation Information on YouTube: A Systematic Evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to systematically evaluate the quality and reliability of YouTube videos on cardiac rehabilitation, addressing a gap in the literature regarding the assessment of online health resources in this field. DESIGN AND SETTING: The study is a cross-sectional analysis. This research was conducted entirely online, utilizing the YouTube platform for data collection. MAIN MEASURES: The videos were assessed for educational quality and reliability using modified versions of the DISCERN, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and Global Quality Scale (GQS) benchmarks. Specific data points such as upload date, length, uploader and narrator identity, and engagement metrics (views, likes, and dislikes) were also collected. RESULTS:  Out of 300 videos initially reviewed, 140 met the inclusion criteria. The majority of videos were of low quality (67.9%), with medium (12.9%) and high-quality (19.3%) content being less common. Videos were predominantly uploaded by academic, university, or hospital sources (63.6%) and narrated by non-physician health professionals (41.4%). The content mainly provided general information about cardiac rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS:  The study revealed a concerning predominance of low-quality YouTube content on cardiac rehabilitation, underscoring the necessity for healthcare professionals and academic institutions to enhance the quality of online resources.

A questionnaire to assess the health information literacy of patients with intermediate-stage chronic kidney disease.

AIM: To investigate the status and influencing factors of health information literacy in patients with intermediate-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). DESIGN: A prospective clinical study. METHODS: We used a CKD health information literacy questionnaire to survey 130 patients with intermediate-stage CKD and valuate their health needs and health knowledge. We performed the study in strict accordance with the Guidelines for Clinical Trial Protocols. We registered the study in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registration Center (registration No. ChiCTR2100053103; approval No. K56-1). RESULTS: The overall health information literacy of CKD was relatively low. Low education level, advanced age and unemployment were influencing factors. The scores of assessment ability, literacy awareness, application ability, integration ability and CKD health knowledge reserve were relatively low. The generalized linear model showed that the older the men, the lower their health information literacy.

Exploring the Relationship between Health Information Literacy and Health Behaviors of the Elderly.

Background: Population aging and health issues are one of the most crucial issues worldwide. Health behaviors are the most direct factor affecting the health of the elderly. This study aims to explore the relationship between the health information literacy and health behaviors of the elderly. Methods: A hypothesis model for the influence of health information literacy on health behaviors of the elderly was constructed. Based on survey data of 382 elderly people aged 60 and above in Hangzhou, China, from March 2022 to May 2022, the relationship between the health information literacy and health behaviors of the elderly was studied by using quantitative statistics and the structural equation model. Results: The health information literacy of the elderly had a significant positive impact on their health behaviors (P<0.01). Health information seeking played a partial mediating role between health information literacy and health behaviors. Social support exerted a significant moderating effect between health information literacy and health behaviors (P<0.05) and between health information literacy and health information seeking (P<0.05). Conclusion: Health information literacy is the decisive factor of the elderly's health behaviors. The higher level of health information literacy, the more health information seeking, thus promoting more active health behaviors.

Evaluation of Citizen Epidemic Prevention Information Literacy in the Post-Epidemic Era in Mainland China.

Improving citizen epidemic prevention information literacy is one of the most cost-efficient and important measures to improve people's epidemic prevention abilities to effectively deal with future public health crises. Epidemic prevention information literacy is beneficial to improve individuals' ability to deal with public health crises in the future. By summarizing related domestic and international research, and utilizing an empirical methodology, we constructed an epidemic prevention information literacy assessment model with good reliability, validity, and model fit. The model is composed of four indicators: (1) "epidemic prevention information awareness"; (2) "epidemic prevention information knowledge"; (3) "epidemic prevention information ability"; (4) "epidemic prevention information morality". We used the model to assess the epidemic prevention information literacy of Chinese citizens. The results showed the following: (1) the overall level of the epidemic prevention information literacy of Chinese citizens was comparatively high, however, its development was unbalanced, and the capability and moral levels of the epidemic prevention information were comparatively low; (2) the four dimensions of the epidemic prevention information literacy were different in terms of the citizens' education levels and locations. We analyzed the probable causes of these problems, and we propose specific corresponding countermeasures. The research provides a set of methods and norms for the evaluation of citizen epidemic prevention information literacy in the post-epidemic era.

Developing a questionnaire to evaluate the health information literacy in China.

Introduction: Health information literacy is critical for individuals to obtain, understand, screen, and apply health information. However, there is currently no specific tool available to evaluate all four dimensions of health information literacy in China. Public health emergencies can present an opportunity to evaluate and monitor the health information literacy level of residents. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a questionnaire to evaluate the level of health information literacy and to measure the reliability and validity. Methods: The development process of the questionnaire consisted of the determination of questionnaire items, expert consultation, and validation. Based on the National Residents Health Literacy Monitoring Questionnaire (2020) and the 2019 Informed Health Choices key concepts, the researchers drafted the questionnaire, including all four dimensions of health information literacy. Experts in relevant fields were invited to evaluate the draft questionnaire, and revisions were made accordingly. Finally, the reliability and validity of the finalized version were examined in Gansu Province, China. Results: The research team preliminarily formulated 14 items encompassing the four dimensions of health information literacy. After consulting with 28 experts, modifications were made. A convenience sample of 185 Chinese residents was invited to participate. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.715 and McDonald's omega was 0.739 for internal consistency, and the test-retest intra-class correlation coefficient after 4 weeks was 0.906, indicating that the questionnaire content and measurement structure was relatively stable. Conclusion: This questionnaire is the first evidence-based assessment tool developed for monitoring health information literacy in China, and it has shown good reliability and validity. It can help to monitor the health information literacy levels of Chinese residents, promote evidence-based decision-making, and guide interventions to improve health information literacy.

Current Situations and Challenges in the Development of Health Information Literacy.

Health information literacy (HIL) is a significant concept that has gradually become known to the broader public in recent years. Although the definitions of HIL and health literacy seem to overlap, as an independent subconcept, HIL still shows a unique influence on improvements in people's health and health education. Remarkable evidence indicates that online health information (OHI) can effectively enrich people's knowledge and encourage patients to actively join the medical process, which is also accompanied by the emergence of various assessment tools. Although the current assessment tools, to a certain extent, can help people identify their shortcomings and improve their HIL, many studies have indicated that the deficiencies of the scales induce incomplete or unreal results of their HIL. In addition, continuing research has revealed an increasing number of influencing factors that have great effects on HIL and even regulate the different trends in doctor-patient relationships. Simultaneously, most of the uncensored OHI broadcasts have also affected the improvement in HIL in various ways. Thus, this review aims to summarize the assessment tools, influencing factors and current situations and challenges related to HIL. Further studies are required to provide more trusted and deeper references for the development of HIL.

Relationship between health information literacy and health promoting lifestyle among first-degree relatives of patients with colorectal cancer in China: the mediating effect of health belief.

Background: History of first-degree relatives with colorectal cancer is one of the most important and common risk factors for colorectal cancer in China. Most chronic diseases, such as malignancies, are preventable by adopting health-promoting behaviors and other approaches. However, the relationships among factors affecting the health-promoting lifestyles of first-degree relatives with colorectal cancer have not been sufficiently studied. This study aimed to test the mediation effects of Health belief in the relationship between health-promoting lifestyle and health information literacy among first-degree relatives with colorectal cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was conducted using convenience sampling of 856 first-degree relatives of CRC patients attending three tertiary care hospitals in Nanchong and Deyang of China from December 2020 to December 2022. Questionnaires were used to collect data on the participants' demographic information, the colorectal cancer health beliefs, the health promotion lifestyle, and the health information literacy. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and mediation analysis using SPSS 25.0 program and its macro-program PROCESS. Results: The findings indicated health information literacy was less, health belief was at the medium level, and performance of health promotion behavior was average for first-degree relatives of colorectal cancer. Whereas first-degree relatives of colorectal cancer health-promotion lifestyle had a positive correlation with health beliefs (r = 0.376, p < 0.01) and health information literacy (r = 0.533, p < 0.01), health beliefs had a positive correlation with health information literacy (r = 0.337, p < 0.01). Health beliefs mediated the positive effect of health information literacy on health-promoting lifestyles (ß =0.420, 95% CI, 0.288-0.581), and indirect effects accounted for 14.0% of the total effect. Conclusion: Health information literacy and health beliefs are key factors associated with a health-promoting lifestyle among first-degree relatives with colorectal cancer. These factors have direct and indirect effects on each other and on health-promoting lifestyles. To enhance health-promoting lifestyles among first-degree relatives with colorectal cancer, interventions that strengthen health beliefs and provide health information literacy should be developed.

Health Information Crisis during COVID-19 in the South Asian Region: Challenges, Experiences, Resilience, and Collaborative Efforts.

The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is as much an information war as it is a medical war. Members from South Asia and the Asia Pacific countries share their experiences and challenges faced with collaborative responses for the ASIS&T Special Chapter funded project on "Dealing with COVID-19 and saving people's lives in South Asia (SA) areas & beyond-A Health Informatics Promotion Project" awarded to the South Asia Chapter in 2021. The panel discusses the challenges faced within the context of geopolitical, socio-economic, religious, and cultural conditions prevalent within their countries. In the first 40 minutes, panel members narrate their own experiences by sharing their personal stories about this collaborative project and share the challenges of content creation and promotion from within the context of their respective countries. The next 30 minutes will be facilitated by the panel chair inviting a discussion between panel members and the audience to engage and come up with innovative ideas, discuss challenges in creating multilingual content and suggestions for improving the project outcome as well as shed light on initiating future health informatics project in similar regions. The last 20 minutes will culminate with the summarization of these collaborative experiences.

Equipping Students and Beyond with Sound COVID-19 Knowledge to Survive and Thrive Despite the Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the understanding of the infodemic for making informed decisions. Limiting the spread of health misinformation and disinformation was the primary goal of the health informatics project. The project became the recipient of the ASIS&T "Chapter Innovation of the Year Award 2021". A repertoire of online and offline initiatives was carried out with 9 well-researched videos for promoting health informatics. Since August 2021, thousands of academics, librarians, teachers, parents, and students from 16 countries and regions were invited to be science communicators to create and disseminate accurate health information in their areas through an international digital story writing competition. In this paper, we will discuss the strategies of responding to the information crisis, including employing interventions that protect against the infodemic and mitigate its harmful effects, to strengthen the resilience of individuals and communities in dealing with it in an information-resilient society.

Current Status and Associated Factors of Health Information Literacy Among the Community Elderly in Central China in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: COVID-19 posed a threat to the public's physical and mental health, and under outbreak control, the opportunities to go outside of the elderly have been reduced and making it more difficult to access health information and detrimental to their health management. This study aims to assess the current status of health information literacy (HIL) among older adults in the community in the context of COVID-19 and to identify its associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April to July, 2021, for which 617 community elderly members were recruited in Chenzhou, China. Data were collected through a general information questionnaire, The Chinese residents' HIL self-rated scale and a reliability evaluation form. Results: The average score of HIL was 75.87 ± 9.85, and after processed by the 100-point system, we found 84.12% (519/617) of the participants scored less than 60 points, which indicates that the overall level of HIL among the community elderly is low. Multiple linear regression showed that age, gender, education, annual family Income, living arrangement, and chronic disease status (ß = -0.341, -0.296, 0.384, 0.327, 0.296, 0.356, respectively; all P < 0.001) were significantly associated with the level of HIL found among the community elderly, out of which education was the most important associated factor. Conclusion: The overall HIL level among the community elderly was low in Central China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results further prove the need for tailor-made health education programs for this group, with particular attention paid to the low-educated and low-income among them. Those measures must highlight on three aspects of health information search, evaluation, and application skills to offer useful experiences that improve the HIL level of the elderly and strengthen their ability to cope with emerging public health events.

The prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the age of infodemic.

BACKGROUND: Addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Communication and media environments are potential drivers of vaccine hesitancy. It is worthwhile to examine the relationship between social media use and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. METHODS: Questionnaires were administered to 463 participants in mainland China. Factor analysis, correlation analysis, and linear regression models were utilized to examine the prevalence and influencing factors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in China, as well as the relationship between social media use, media trust, health information literacy, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. RESULTS: Lack of confidence and risk were identified as factors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Age, occupation status and income levels were significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. In addition, we observed that frequency of social media use, diversity of social media use, media trust and health information literacy were significantly correlated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. CONCLUSION: Increased frequency and diversity of social media use, media trust and health information literacy can mitigate COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and promote COVID-19 vaccination.

The Effect of Socio-Economic Status on Health Information Literacy among Urban Older Adults: Evidence from Western China.

The present study aimed to observe the effect of socio-economic status on health information literacy and to identify whether there is a social gradient for health information literacy among urban older adults in Western China. This study employed a cross-sectional research design, and 812 urban participants aged 60 and older were enrolled in Western China. In the current study, only 16.7% of urban older adults reported having adequate health information literacy. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that socio-economic status factors including educational attainment, ethnicity, and financial strain were significantly and tightly associated with health information literacy. Additionally, other factors including suffering from chronic diseases, information-seeking activity, reading magazines and books, and watching television were also significantly linked to health information literacy. Consistent with existing studies, the findings indicate the health information literacy deficit and demonstrate the crucial impact of socio-economic status on health information literacy, which implies a social gradient in health information literacy. The importance of other factors related to health information literacy are discussed as well. The results suggest that reducing the health information literacy deficit and social gradient in health information literacy must be considered as an important priority when developing public health and health education strategies, programs, and actions among urban older adults in Western China.