JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital health interventions may be an efficient, flexible method to enhance prevention and management of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in the Canadian South Asian population. However, little is known about factors influencing eHealth Literacy in this population.

Objective:

To describe perceived eHealth literacy and explore the extent to which it is influenced by sociodemographic, health status, and technology use variables in a subset of South Asian Canadians.

Methods:

We analyzed data from the ePatient Project survey, a mixed model, cross-sectional survey that occurred in 2014. The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) was used to measure eHealth literacy in a convenience sample of 511 English or Punjabi speaking South Asian adults recruited from a community pharmacy, family physician office, and community events in Edmonton, Alberta. Multivariable quantile regression was used to explore independent predictors of eHealth literacy.

Results:

The analysis was restricted to the 373 participants (mean age 44.2±17.3) years; 55.2% female) who provided responses to all eight eHEALS questions and complete demographic information. The mean overall eHEALS score was 26.8±8.7 out of 40 and was higher in the (n=301) internet users (29.27±6.84) than the (n=72) internet non-users (16.29±7.65) (Difference: 12.98; 95% CI: 10.97, 14.90). Multivariable regression in all 373 participants indicated that 3 factors, internet use (coefficient: 9.67; 95% CI: 5.04, 14.29), preference for written health information in a language other than English (coefficient: -5.64; 95% CI: -9.23, -2.04) and living in Canada for ≤5 years (coefficient: -1.45; 95% CI: -2.60, -0.30) were independent predictors of poorer eHealth Literacy. In the 301 internet users, language preference was the only independent predictor of eHealth literacy. The eHEALS item with the lowest level of agreement was “I can tell high quality health resources from low quality health resources on the internet” (60.5%; 182/301). Forty percent (29/72) of internet non-users felt it was important to be able to access health resources on the web.

Conclusions:

In our sample, lack of internet use, a preference for written health information in languages other than English, and living in Canada for less than 5 years were associated with reduced eHealth Literacy. Opportunities exist to improve eHealth Literacy in internet users and non-users using culturally and linguistically tailored interventions.