Electronic Health Literacy among Older Adults: Development and Psychometric Validation of the Hebrew Version of the Electronic Health Literacy Questionnaire

Abstract

Introduction

In the digital age, electronic health literacy (eHealth literacy) has become crucial for maintaining and improving health outcomes. As the population ages, developing and validating tools that accurately measure eHealth literacy levels among older adults in different cultures is essential.

Objectives

This study aimed to validate the Hebrew version of the electronic Health Literacy scale among Israelis aged 65 and older by assessing its psychometric properties, including content validity, construct validity, age-based convergent validity, internal consistency reliability, and test-retest reliability.

Methods

A sample of 628 Israelis aged 65 and older was recruited using convenience sampling. Participants completed an online survey consisting of the HeHEALS, demographic questions, items related to participants’ use of online health information sources, and measures of self-rated health, satisfaction with health, and perceived health compared to others. Psychometric properties were assessed using various statistical analyses.

Results

The HeHEALS demonstrated good content validity, construct validity, age-based convergent validity, internal consistency reliability, and test-retest reliability. Exploratory factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure of the HeHEALS. Significant positive correlations were found between HeHEALS and education, income, and subjective health measures. Users of online health information sources had significantly higher electronic health literacy scores than non-users.

Conclusions

The HeHEALS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing eHealth literacy among older adults in Israel, with potential applications in research and practice to promote digital health equity.