Associations of infectious disease-specific, electronic, and general health literacy among high school students with prevalent health challenges

A cross-sectional study

Bibliographic Data

ID22067787
AuthorsJie Qin (0000-0002-6273-5585, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University), Yan Gong (0009-0007-8344-692X, Zhengzhou University), Ruijuan Hu, Rey-Hsing Hu (Zhengzhou University), Yifang Lou (Pasadena City College), Xiaoyan Xuan (Zhengzhou University), Peng Wang (0000-0003-3639-6126, Zhengzhou University), Guangming Gong (0000-0003-1643-8288, Zhengzhou University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume13
Pages1613375-1613375
Publication date2025-05-13
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2025.1613375
PMID40438059
OpenAlexW4410331656
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited27

The interplay of infection-specific (IDSHL), electronic (eHL), and general health literacy (HL) in shaping adolescent health disparities during recurrent infections remains underexplored. This cross-sectional study mainly evaluated the levels and associations of IDSHL, eHL and HL among 10th–11th graders ( n = 272) using validated instruments (IDSHLS, eHEALS, HLS-SF12) via anonymous questionnaires. Results revealed that 89.7% of participants reported prevalent health concerns, most notably mood (52.2%), sleep (51.8%), vision (47.8%), weight (34.5%) and gastrointestinal (28.3%) issues, with 66.5% engaging in risk behaviors such as physical inactivity (50.4%) and poor dietary habits (40.4%), while electronic new media overwhelmingly dominated health information acquisition. Literacy proficiency varied: 85.29% exhibited high IDSHL (mean ± SD: 23.23 ± 7.69), 51.1% in high eHL (28.22 ± 8.10) and 48.9% in high HL (34.81 ± 10.29). Binary logistic regression identified IDSHL as an independent HL predictor (OR = 10.28, 95% CI 1.79–59.14, p < 0.01) and revealed reciprocal eHL-HL associations (eHL → HL: OR = 23.31; HL → eHL: OR = 23.15; both p < 0.01). These findings highlight adolescents’ disproportionate health burdens, digital-focused information acquisition, literacy gaps, and preliminary evidence of a reciprocal IDSHL-eHL relationship within health literacy frameworks. The study advocates integrated interventions combining infection-specific education, digital health training, and behavior modification to address adolescent health disparities in prevention-focused digital healthcare systems

Cross-sectional study · Family medicine · Health care · Health literacy · Literacy · Logistic regression · Mood · Pathology · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Clinical Psychology · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Medicine · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications · Pediatric health and respiratory diseases · Psychology · Gerontology · Internal Medicine

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