Health Literacy and Cyberchondria Levels in Healthcare Workers and Their Relationship with Body Awareness and Physical Activity

Abstract

Aim: The level of health literacy and cyberchondria of healthcare providers can affect service beneficiaries, and the influence of health literacy and cyberchondria on physical activity and body awareness remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the health literacy and cyberchondria levels of healthcare workers and examine their relationship with physical activity level and body awareness. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between August and November 2021 on 168 healthcare professionals working at the university hospital. The Turkish Health Literacy scale (TSOY-32), Cyberchondria scale, Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) were used for outcome measurements. Results: The TSOY-32 and Cyberchondria scale total scores were 37.76±7.98 and 63.83±19.45, respectively. There were low positive and significant correlations with TSOY-32, BAQ (r=0.213, p=0.006) and IPAQ-SF (r=0.162, p=0.036), while a low negative correlation was found between cyberchondria level and BAQ (r=-0.179, p=0.022) and IPAQ-SF (r=-0.193, p=0.013). Conclusion: This study shows that, unlike predicted, health professionals did not have perfect health literacy and were found to have moderate cyberchondria. Physical activity and body awareness may affect increasing health literacy and reducing cyberchondria, which will empower individuals to make beneficial health decisions.