Relationship between health-seeking behavior and digital health literacy in epilepsy patients

Abstract

Objective: The present study examines the relationship between health-seeking behavior and digital health literacy in patients with epilepsy. Method: Included in this descriptive, cross-sectional study were 115 epilepsy patients diagnosed at the neurology outpatient clinic of a public hospital between July and November 2024. All participants completed the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) and the Health-Seeking Behavior Scale (HLBS). Statistical analyses were conducted to assess correlations between the scales and to compare mean scores across different patient characteristics. Results: A weak but statistically significant correlation was observed between several sub-dimensions of the DHLI (including information seeking, evaluating reliability, determining relevance, content creation and privacy protection) and the total HLBS score (p < 0.05). When the average scores of DHLI and HLBS are compared with the level of education, seizure frequency and time spent on social media, the statistical difference between them is significant. Specifically, patients with lower educational attainment and limited social media use were found to have lower levels of digital health literacy. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that an interactive relationship exists between digital health literacy and health-seeking behaviors among epilepsy patients. We recommend tailored educational interventions and professional healthcare support to ensure the dissemination of reliable digital health information. Future studies may explore this relationship further with the involvement of larger samples and alternative methodologies.