Journals / Ahi Evran Tıp Dergisi / 2026 / Volume: 10 Issue: 2

The Relationship Between E-Health Literacy Level and Health Anxiety in Individuals with Chronic Illnesses

Aysun Kazak Saltı(MERSİN ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-7151-1391
Evin Nehir Yazan(MERSİN ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0003-2044-3183
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-08-31
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The observed patterns suggest the need for interventions that support access to reliable health information while taking psychosocial factors into account, thereby providing guidance for healthcare professionals.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between e-Health literacy levels and health anxiety in individuals with chronic diseases.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Materials and Methods: The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 117 individuals.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The observed patterns suggest the need for interventions that support access to reliable health information while taking psychosocial factors into account, thereby providing guidance for healthcare professionals.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:2025 Verileri
⚙️Variables:anxiety · chronic patient · e-health

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between e-Health literacy levels and health anxiety in individuals with chronic diseases. Materials and Methods: The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 117 individuals. Data were collected between September - November 2025 at a hospital in Mersin. The data were gathered using the “Individual Information Form (IIF)”, “e-Health Literacy Scale (e-HEALS)”, and the “Health Anxiety Scale (HAS)”. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA (with Bonferroni post-hoc test), Pearson correlation analysis, and simple linear regression analysis were used for data analysis. Results: Among the participants, eHealth literacy was found to be negatively associated with age (p < 0.05) and positively associated with educational level (p < 0.01). No statistically significant differences were identified in terms of gender (p > 0.05). A considerable proportion of participants reported accessing health-related information through family members, social networks, and social media platforms. Moreover, no statistically significant relationship was found between e-Health literacy and health anxiety (p > 0.05). Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of evaluating eHealth literacy and health anxiety together in the context of chronic disease. The observed patterns suggest the need for interventions that support access to reliable health information while taking psychosocial factors into account, thereby providing guidance for healthcare professionals.

🔖

Cite This Article

Saltı, A. K., Yazan, E. N. (2026). The Relationship Between E-Health Literacy Level and Health Anxiety in Individuals with Chronic Illnesses. Ahi Evran Tıp Dergisi, Volume: 10 Issue: 2. https://doi.org/10.46332/aemj.1914672

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (33)

  1. Xie L, Zhang S, Xin M, Zhu M, Lu W, Mo PK-H. Electronic health literacy and health-related outcomes among older adults: a systematic review. Prev med. 2022;157:106997. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.106997
  2. Kurtoğlu İ, Yılmaz N, Taş MA. Kronik Hastalarin E-Sağlik Okuryazarlik Düzeyleri Üzerine Bir Araştirma. MAKU SOBED. 2022(35):126-136. doi:10.20875/makusobed.1009918
  3. Magi CE, Bambi S, Rasero L, et al. Health Literacy and Self-Care in Patients with Chronic Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol. Healthcare (Basel). Mar 31 2024;12(7). doi:10.3390/healthcare12070762
  4. Tosun N, Hoşgör H. E-sağlık okuryazarlığı ve akılcı ilaç kullanımı farkındalığı arasındaki ilişkinin belirlenmesine yönelik bir araştırma. Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi. 2021;22(2):82-102. doi:10.37880/cumuiibf.896847
  5. Refahi H, Klein M, Feigerlova E. e-Health literacy skills in people with chronic diseases and what do the measurements tell us: a scoping review. Telemed J E Health. 2023;29(2):198-208. doi:10.1089/tmj.2022.0115
  6. Griese L, Schaeffer D, Berens E-M. Navigational health literacy among people with chronic illness. Chronic Illness. 2023;19(1):172-183. doi:10.1177/17423953211073368
  7. Sarı B, Yılmaz N. Hemşirelik Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Düzeyleri Üzerine Bir Araştırma. Lokman Hekim Derg. 2025;15(1):339-348. doi: 10.31020/mutftd.1585305
  8. Ertaş H, Kıraç R, Ünal SN. Sağlık bilimleri fakültesi öğrencilerinin siberkondri düzeyleri ve ilişkili faktörlerin incelenmesi. OPUS Int J Soc Res. 2020;15(23):1746-1764. doi: 10.26466/opus.616396
  9. Tarihoran DE, Anggraini D, Juliani E, Ressa R, Fardan I. Indonesian student nurses’ E-health literacy skills. Nurses and Midwives in the Digital Age: IOS Press. 2021: 444-446. doi: 10.3233/SHTI210767
  10. Deniz S. Bireylerin e-sağlık okuryazarlığı ve siberkondri düzeylerinin incelenmesi. İnsan ve İnsan. 2020;7(24):84-96. doi: 10.29224/insanveinsan.67472
  11. Bandura A. Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. American psychologist. 1982;37(2):122. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.37.2.122
  12. Ünalan E. Üniversite öğrencilerinde ruh sağlığı, sağlık kaygısı ve sağlık davranışları arasındaki ilişkiler. Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi) Okan Üniversitesi, Psikoloji Anabilim Dalı, İstanbul. 2014.
  13. Kıraç R, Öztürk YE. Halkin sağlik okuryazarlik düzeyi ile sağlik kaygisi arasindaki ilişkisi. SAD / JSR. 2020;23(2):214-243. doi:10.18490/sosars.819000
  14. Hamutoğlu NB, Güngören ÖC, Uyanık GK, Erdoğan DG. Dijital okuryazarlık ölçeği: Türkçe’ye uyarlama çalışması. Ege Eğitim Derg. 2017;18(1):408-429. doi:10.12984/egeefd.295306
  15. Nahm E-S, Zhu S, Bellantoni M, et al. The effects of a theory-based patient portal e-learning program for older adults with chronic illnesses. Telemed J E Health. 2019;25(10):940-951. doi:10.1089/tmj.2018.01
  16. Dost A, Durmaz MÖ. Kronik hastaliği olan bireylerin sağlik okuryazarlik düzeyleri ve etkileyen faktörler. JHVS. 2022;10(2):652-666. doi:10.33715/inonusaglik.1010493
  17. Norman CD, Skinner HA. eHEALS: the eHealth literacy scale. J Med Internet Res. 2006;8(4):e507. doi: 10.2196/jmir.8.4.e27
  18. Gencer ZT. Norman ve skinner’in e-sağlik okuryazarliği ölçeğinin kültürel uyarlamasi için geçerlilik ve güvenilirlik çalişmasi. İstanbul Üniv İletişim Fak Derg|. 2017(52):131-145. doi: 10.17064/iuifd.333165
  19. Salkovskis PM, Rimes KA, Warwick HM, Clark D. The Health Anxiety Inventory: development and validation of scales for the measurement of health anxiety and hypochondriasis. Psychol Med. 2002;32(5):843-853. doi:10.1017/S0033291702005822
  20. Aydemir Ö, Kirpinar I, Sati T, Uykur B, Cengisiz C. Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the health anxiety inventory. Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2013;50(4):325-331. doi: 10.4274/npa.y6383
  21. Karapıçak Ö, Aslan S, Utku Ç. Panik bozukluğu, somatizasyon bozukluğu ve hipokondriaziste sağlık kaygısı. J Cogn Behav Psychother Res. 2012;1(1):43-51. https://jcbpr.org/storage/upload/pdfs/1708431964-tr.pdf
  22. Tabachnick BG, Fidell LS, Ullman JB. Using multivariate statistics. Boston, MA:Pearson; 2007.
  23. Kefeli Col B, Gumusler Basaran A, Genc Kose B. The Relationship Between E-Health Literacy, Health Anxiety, Cyberchondria, and Death Anxiety in University Students That Study in Health Related Department. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2025:1581-1595. doi:10.2147/jmdh.s513017
  24. Kalantari A, Valizadeh-Haghi S, Starcevic V, et al. The relationship between e-Health literacy and cyberchondria in Iranian students of health sciences. Front Psychiatry. 2025;15:1421391. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1421391
  25. Griese L, Schaeffer D. Health literacy and chronic disease: a comparison of somatic and mental illness. Front Public Health. 2025;13:1523723. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1523723
  26. Li S, Yao D, Hu X, et al. Exploring the relationship between health literacy and chronic diseases among middle-aged and older adults: evidence from Zhejiang, China. Front Public Health. 2025;13:1520668. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1520668
  27. Neter E, Brainin E. Perceived and performed eHealth literacy: survey and simulated performance test. JMIR human factors. 2017;4(1):e6523. doi:10.2196/humanfactors.6523
  28. Chung S-Y, Nahm E-S. Testing reliability and validity of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) for older adults recruited online. CIN. 2015;33(4):150-156. doi: 10.1097/CIN.0000000000000146
  29. Dadaczynski K, Okan O, Messer M, et al. Digital health literacy and web-based information-seeking behaviors of university students in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional survey study. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(1):e24097. doi:10.2196/24097
  30. Alhewiti A. eHealth Literacy and Trust in Health Information Sources. Paper presented at: Healthcare, 2025. doi:10.3390/healthcare13060616
  31. Chen J, Tian H. Associations between health anxiety, eHealth literacy and self-reported health: A cross-sectional study. Rev. Esc. Enferm. USP. 2024;58:e20240160. doi:10.1590/1980-220X-REEUSP-2024-0160en
  32. Salkovskis PM, Warwick H. Meaning, misinterpretations, and medicine: A cognitive-behavioral approach to understanding health anxiety and hypochondriasis. 2001. In V. Starcevic D. R. Lipsitt (Eds.), Hypochondriasis: Modern perspectives on an ancient malady (pp. 202–222). Oxford University Press. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-00239-009
  33. Guo K, Ouyang J, Minhat HS. The mediating role of health literacy between the presence of chronic disease and psychological distress among older persons in Xi’an city of China. BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):2530. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-17315-x