Digital health literacy and information-seeking on the internet in relation to COVID-19 among university students in Greece

Background: COVID-19 is the first pandemic in history in which technology and social media are being used for people to be informed and be safe. Thus, digital health literacy skills affect the way people will protect and promote their health. Methods: A cross-sectional web-based study was conducted with a convenience sample among university students (N=604) from one of the Universities located in Attica (Greece) during May - June 2020. The COVID-HL university students survey questionnaire was used for collecting the data. Results: In regards to information search, 28 % of the university students indicated that they found it very difficult/difficult to find the exact information they were looking for and 20.4 % to make a choice from all the information they found. Additionally, 45.1 % of the participants found it very difficult/difficult to decide whether the information retrieved via online search is reliable or not. Conclusion: The results indicate a need for the promotion of digital health literacy among university students and therefore, health education interventions need to optimize students’ seeking skills and critical thinking. Health educators should consider the results of this study and involve the university students in any intervention they plan in order to address the students’ specific needs. It is also suggested that these health education interventions should be integrated throughout all academic activities.