Background

Health literacy (HL) empowers individuals to take responsibility for their own health and well-being. No data is available on health literacy of adolescents or their digital health literacy (DHL), i.e. how they search for, evaluate and apply digital health information. This research gap results in part from the lack of a validated DHL instrument for adolescents. Research on health literacy and digital health literacy is the basis for targeted promotion of access to (digital) health information in politics and practice.

Objectives

The aim is to investigate HL and DHL and associated factors in 14- to 17-year-olds in Switzerland. Two existing HL questionnaires will be compared, and a youth-specific DHL instrument will be developed. We will investigate how young people inform themselves about health topics and analyze the connection between HL, DHL, and health behavior.

Methodology

The project consists of three work packages (WP). WP1 includes a data collection via online survey among adolescents in the three language regions of Switzerland. Two existing HL-instruments will be translated, piloted and used to assess HL. In addition, the health information seeking behavior will be examined. WPs 2 and 3 build on the results of WP1. WP2 develops and tests a DHL-instrument with the participatory involvement of adolescents. In WP3, the newly developed DHL-instrument will be used to collect data on the DHL of Swiss adolescents.

Expected results

The digitalization of society and the health system requires a high level of HL and DHL. This research project will provide data on the HL and DHL of Swiss adolescents as well as associated individual, contextual and situational factors and health behavior for the first time. It fills an important knowledge gap for evidence-based recommendations to strengthen health and wellbeing in adolescents. The findings and the comparison of different HL instruments and the developed DHL-instrument point the way for future monitoring of HL and DHL and advance the theoretical and methodological basis of HL and DHL research and practice.