Electronic Health Literacy in Individuals with Chronic Pain and Its Association with Psychological Function

Bibliographic Data

ID15478702
AuthorsElena Castarlenas (0000-0003-0383-2526, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud), Elisabet Sánchez‐rodríguez (0000-0001-8377-1799, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud), Rubén Roy (0000-0003-3813-762X, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud), Catarina Tomé‐Pires (0000-0001-7347-4950, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud), Catarina Tomé-Pires (Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Psychology, Research Center for Behavior Assessment (CRAMC), Chair in Pediatric Pain Universitat Rovira i Virgili-Fudación Grünenthal, Unit for the Study and Treatment of Pain—ALGOS, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain), Ester Solé (0000-0002-1540-8143, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud), Mark P Jensen (0000-0003-3392-9767, University of Washington), Jordi Miró (0000-0002-1998-6653, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume18
Issue23
Pages12528-12528
Publication date2021-11-28
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph182312528
PMID34886254
OpenAlexW3216517956
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited59

Electronic health literacy skills and competences are important for empowering people to have an active role in making appropriate health care decisions. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to (1) examine the frequency of use of the Internet for seeking online information about chronic pain, (2) determine the level of eHealth literacy skills in the study sample, (3) identify the factors most closely associated with higher levels of eHealth literacy, and (4) examine self-efficacy as a potential mediator of the association between eHealth literacy and measures of pain and function in a sample of adults with chronic pain. One-hundred and sixty-one adults with chronic pain completed measures assessing internet use, eHealth literacy, pain interference, anxiety, depression, and pain-related self-efficacy. Results indicated that 70% of the participants are active users of the Internet for seeking information related to their health. The level of eHealth literacy skills was not statistically significantly associated with participants' age or pain interference but was significantly negatively associated with both anxiety and depression. In addition, the findings showed that self-efficacy fully explained the relationship between eHealth literacy and depression and partially explained the relationship between eHealth literacy and anxiety. Self-efficacy should be considered as a treatment target in eHealth literacy interventions, due to its role in explaining the potential benefits of eHealth literacy

Association (psychology · Chronic pain · Health care · Health literacy · Literacy · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Clinical Psychology · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Medicine · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications · Psychology · Social Media in Health Education