A cross-sectional study to assess health literacy levels among Canadian post-secondary students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT To better understand the online information-seeking behaviors and health literacy levels of Canadian post-secondary students, a cross-sectional online bilingual survey was initiated during the first wave of COVID-19 in Canada. The survey was administered to Canadian post-secondary students from 1 July 2020, to 30 September 2020, through email invitations and social media platforms. The objective of this paper is to assess the online information-seeking behaviors and health literacy levels in relation to the coronavirus of Canadian post-secondary students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online survey was developed using standardized tools, including the Digital Health Literacy Instrument, and newly developed measures of sociodemographic indicators and the information satisfaction scale. Sociodemographic factors and health literacy levels were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A total of 2,679 students partihigh levels of health literacy and could easily access online information related to COVID-19 to make health decisions. The most frequently used sources to obtain information about the coronavirus were search engines and websites of public sector agencies. While the majority of respondents found it easy to access and utilize online health information, continued development of these resources is vital to reducing the spread of COVID-19 and addressing misinformation. Accurate and well-maintained online resources are key preventative health measures to educate the public and ultimately lessen the burden on our healthcare system.