Correlation between Electronic Health Literacy and Health Promoting Behaviors in Elderly

Aims Health-promoting behaviors are considered the most basic health criteria for the elderly. This study aimed to identify the correlation between Electronic Health Literacy and health- promoting behaviors among the elderly. Participants Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out on 300 subjects aged 60 years and older referred to Tehran retirement center in 2018. Convenient sampling was used for selecting the subjects. The data were collected by health-promoting questionnaire and Electronic Health Literacy questionnaire. Independent t-test and ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient were used. The data were analyzed through SPSS 19. Findings The mean and standard deviation of health-promoting behaviors and Electronic Health Literacy were 146.95±30.31 and 27.19±6.99. The subjects with higher literacy obtained higher scores in health-promoting behaviors and its component. The Pearson correlation coefficient between health-promoting behaviors and Electronic Health Literacy was positive and significant (r=0.408, p 0.001). Also, correlation between Electronic Health Literacy and health responsibility (r=0.408, p 0.001), nutrition (r=0.329, p 0.001) and interpersonal relationships (r=0.413, p 0.001) was positive and significant. Conclusion Electronic Health Literacy has a moderate positive correlation with health- promoting behaviors and components among the elderly. Therefore, improving Electronic Health Literacy should be considered a necessary subject for promoting the health behaviors of the elderly.