Comparison of Self-Tracking Health Practices, eHealth Literacy, and Subjective Well-Being Between College Students With and Without Disabilities: Cross-Sectional Survey

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Abstract

Background

College students with disabilities need to transition from pediatric-centered care to adult care. However, they may become overwhelmed by multiple responsibilities, such as academic activities, peer relationships, career preparation, job seeking, independent living, as well as managing their health and promoting healthy behaviors.

Objective

As the use of smartphones and wearable devices for collecting personal health data becomes popular, this study aimed to compare the characteristics of self-tracking health practices between college students with disabilities and their counterparts. In addition, this study examined the relationships between disability status, self-tracking health practices, eHealth literacy, and subjective well-being among college students.

Methods

The web-based questionnaire was designed using Qualtrics for the cross-sectional online survey. The survey data were collected from February 2023 to April 2023 and included responses from 702 participants.

Results

More than 80% (563/702, 80.2%) of the respondents participated voluntarily in self-tracking health practices. College students with disabilities (n=83) showed significantly lower levels of eHealth literacy and subjective well-being compared with college students without disabilities (n=619). The group with disabilities reported significantly lower satisfaction ( t ₄₁₁=–5.97, P<.001) and perceived efficacy ( t ₄₁₁=–4.85, P<.001) when using smartphone health apps and wearable devices. Finally, the study identified a significant correlation between subjective well-being in college students and disability status ( β=3.81, P<.001), self-tracking health practices ( β=2.22, P=.03), and eHealth literacy ( β=24.29, P<.001).

Conclusions

Given the significant relationships among disability status, self-tracking health practices, eHealth literacy, and subjective well-being in college students, it is recommended to examine their ability to leverage digital technology for self-care. Offering learning opportunities to enhance eHealth literacy and self-tracking health strategies within campus environments could be a strategic approach to improve the quality of life and well-being of college students.

Related collections

Most cited references 39

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Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology

Fred D. Davis (1989)

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Improving the Quality of Web Surveys: The Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES)

Gunther Eysenbach (2004)

Analogous to checklists of recommendations such as the CONSORT statement (for randomized trials), or the QUORUM statement (for systematic reviews), which are designed to ensure the quality of reports in the medical literature, a checklist of recommendations for authors is being presented by the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) in an effort to ensure complete descriptions of Web-based surveys. Papers on Web-based surveys reported according to the CHERRIES statement will give readers a better understanding of the sample (self-)selection and its possible differences from a “representative” sample. It is hoped that author adherence to the checklist will increase the usefulness of such reports.

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eHEALS: The eHealth Literacy Scale

Cameron Norman, Harvey A Skinner (2006)

Background Electronic health resources are helpful only when people are able to use them, yet there remain few tools available to assess consumers’ capacity for engaging in eHealth. Over 40% of US and Canadian adults have low basic literacy levels, suggesting that eHealth resources are likely to be inaccessible to large segments of the population. Using information technology for health requires eHealth literacy—the ability to read, use computers, search for information, understand health information, and put it into context. The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) was designed (1) to assess consumers’ perceived skills at using information technology for health and (2) to aid in determining the fit between eHealth programs and consumers. Objectives The eHEALS is an 8-item measure of eHealth literacy developed to measure consumers’ combined knowledge, comfort, and perceived skills at finding, evaluating, and applying electronic health information to health problems. The objective of the study was to psychometrically evaluate the properties of the eHEALS within a population context. A youth population was chosen as the focus for the initial development primarily because they have high levels of eHealth use and familiarity with information technology tools. Methods Data were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and 3- and 6-month follow-up using control group data as part of a single session, randomized intervention trial evaluating Web-based eHealth programs. Scale reliability was tested using item analysis for internal consistency (coefficient alpha) and test-retest reliability estimates. Principal components factor analysis was used to determine the theoretical fit of the measures with the data. Results A total of 664 participants (370 boys; 294 girls) aged 13 to 21 (mean = 14.95; SD = 1.24) completed the eHEALS at four time points over 6 months. Item analysis was performed on the 8-item scale at baseline, producing a tight fitting scale with α = .88. Item-scale correlations ranged from r = .51 to .76. Test-retest reliability showed modest stability over time from baseline to 6-month follow-up (r = .68 to .40). Principal components analysis produced a single factor solution (56% of variance). Factor loadings ranged from .60 to .84 among the 8 items. Conclusions The eHEALS reliably and consistently captures the eHealth literacy concept in repeated administrations, showing promise as tool for assessing consumer comfort and skill in using information technology for health. Within a clinical environment, the eHEALS has the potential to serve as a means of identifying those who may or may not benefit from referrals to an eHealth intervention or resource. Further research needs to examine the applicability of the eHEALS to other populations and settings while exploring the relationship between eHealth literacy and health care outcomes.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Soyoung Choi:

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0998-3352

Department of Kinesiology and Community HealthUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign272 Freer Hall906 S. Goodwin AveUrbana, IL, 61801United States1 2173332573soyoung@illinois.edu

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): JMIR Form Res

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): JMIR Form Res

Journal ID (publisher-id): JFR

Title: JMIR Formative Research

Publisher: JMIR Publications (Toronto, Canada )

ISSN (Electronic): 2561-326X

Publication date Collection: 2024

Publication date (Electronic): 10 April 2024

Volume: 8

Electronic Location Identifier: e48783

Affiliations

[1 ] Department of Kinesiology and Community Health University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL United States

Author notes

Corresponding Author: Soyoung Choi soyoung@ 123456illinois.edu

Author information

Soyoung Choi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0998-3352

Article

Publisher ID: v8i1e48783

DOI: 10.2196/48783

PMC ID: 11043924

PubMed ID: 38598285

SO-VID: 533f3f82-12ab-4fc3-92c7-7278b17401b6

License:

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Formative Research, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://formative.jmir.org, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.

History

Date received : 6 May 2023

Date revision requested : 13 February 2024

Date revision received : 1 March 2024

Date accepted : 12 March 2024

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