Digital and Musculoskeletal Health Literacy of Collegiate Student-Athletes

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the digital health literacy (DHL) and musculoskeletal health literacy (MHL) levels of collegiate student-athletes. Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey to assess collegiate student-athletes (n=160) health literacy using the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) and Literacy in Musculoskeletal Problems (LiMP) tool. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The majority of participants shared they accessed the Internet via smart phones and felt the Internet was important and useful to their health. On average, the participants scored a 3.36±0.38 on the DHLI. The LiMP score was 6.29±1.36, and 26.8% (n=15/56) of participants who completed the tool had limited or inadequate MHL. Conclusions: Most student-athletes possess adequate DHL and MHL. The findings directly impact patient education as student-athletes are using their phones to access health related information, which they feel comfortable with, but may not know if the source is trustworthy.