TY - JOUR

T1 - Validating the Digital Health Literacy Instrument in Relation to COVID-19 Information (COVID-DHL-K) among South Korean Undergraduates

AU - Chun, Heeran

AU - Park, Eun Ja

AU - Choi, Seul Ki

AU - Yoon, Hyeran

AU - Okan, Orkan

AU - Dadaczynski, Kevin

N1 - This research was funded by the Korea Research Foundation (grant number: NRF 2020R1I1A3073554, NRF-2019S1A5C2A03081040).

PY - 2022/3/14

Y1 - 2022/3/14

N2 - Digital health literacy is crucial in accessing and applying health information in the COVID-19 pandemic period. Young college students are exposed daily to digital technologies, and they have further increased the use of digital information during the COVID-19 period. This study aimed to adapt DHLI into Korean and to assess the psychometric properties, during the COVID-19 pandemic period. A cross-sectional, nationwide, and web-based survey was conducted among 604 Korean undergraduates from 23 December 2020 to 8 January 2021. On the basis of the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) by the Global COVID HL Network, the Korean questionnaire was developed by group translation, expert reviews, and forward–backward translation for validation. The scale reliability and validity were examined using Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analysis. Results support the theoretical and empirical four-factor structure (search, express, evaluate, use) in the coronavirus-related DHL among Korean University students. Internal reliability of the overall scale was high (Cronbach’s α = 0.908). The four-factor model was supported by confirmatory factor analysis (GFI = 0.972, CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.978, RMSEA = 0.045). This study revealed that the COVID-DHL-K is a valid and reliable measure with appropriate psychometric characteristics.

AB - Digital health literacy is crucial in accessing and applying health information in the COVID-19 pandemic period. Young college students are exposed daily to digital technologies, and they have further increased the use of digital information during the COVID-19 period. This study aimed to adapt DHLI into Korean and to assess the psychometric properties, during the COVID-19 pandemic period. A cross-sectional, nationwide, and web-based survey was conducted among 604 Korean undergraduates from 23 December 2020 to 8 January 2021. On the basis of the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) by the Global COVID HL Network, the Korean questionnaire was developed by group translation, expert reviews, and forward–backward translation for validation. The scale reliability and validity were examined using Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analysis. Results support the theoretical and empirical four-factor structure (search, express, evaluate, use) in the coronavirus-related DHL among Korean University students. Internal reliability of the overall scale was high (Cronbach’s α = 0.908). The four-factor model was supported by confirmatory factor analysis (GFI = 0.972, CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.978, RMSEA = 0.045). This study revealed that the COVID-DHL-K is a valid and reliable measure with appropriate psychometric characteristics.

KW - Digital health literacy

KW - Measure

KW - University students

KW - Validation

KW - Reproducibility of Results

KW - COVID-19/epidemiology

KW - Pandemics

KW - Cross-Sectional Studies

KW - Students

KW - Humans

KW - Health Literacy

KW - Republic of Korea/epidemiology

KW - Health sciences

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126289961&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/33b14107-89a9-3d58-9cfd-8587cf1089b6/

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph19063437

DO - 10.3390/ijerph19063437

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 35329126

AN - SCOPUS:85126289961

VL - 19

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

SN - 1661-7827

IS - 6

M1 - 3437

ER -