Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been disseminating fear in the community, which has affected people’s quality of life, especially those with health problems. Health literacy (HL), eHealth literacy (eHEAL), and digital healthy diet literacy (DDL) may have potential impacts on containing the pandemic and its consequences. This study aimed to examine the association between the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCoV-19S) and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and to examine the effect modification by HL, eHEAL, and DDL on this association. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 11 hospitals across Vietnam from 7 April to 31 May 2020. Data were collected on 4348 outpatients, including demographic characteristics, HL, eHEAL, DDL, FCoV-19S, and HRQoL. Multiple linear regression and interaction models were used to explore associations. Results: Patients with higher FCoV-19S scores had lower HRQoL scores (unstandardized coefficient, B = −0.78, p < 0.001). HL (B = 0.20, p < 0.001), eHEAL (B = 0.24, p < 0.001), and DDL (B = 0.20, p < 0.001) were positively associated with higher HRQoL scores. The negative impact of FCoV-19S on HRQoL was significantly attenuated by higher eHEAL score groups (from one standard deviation (SD) below the mean, B = −0.93, p < 0.001; to the mean, B = −0.85, p < 0.001; and one SD above the mean, B = −0.77, p < 0.001); and by higher DDL score groups (from one SD below the mean, B = −0.92, p < 0.001; to the mean, B = −0.82, p < 0.001; and one SD above the mean, B = −0.72, p < 0.001). Conclusions: eHealth literacy and digital healthy diet literacy could help to protect patients’ health-related quality of life from the negative impact of the fear of COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has been placing unprecedented challenges and burdens on the economic, health, and political systems of the affected countries [1,2,3]
Of 4348 respondents, 62% were women, 82.2% ever married, 49.3% had college/university or higher degrees, 89.1% were employed, 37.5% felt it was easy to pay for treatments, 12.6% were overweight or obese, and 40.3% had suspected COVID-19 symptoms
In the interaction model between digital healthy diet literacy and fear of COVID-19, as compared to patients with the lowest FCoV-19S score and DDL score, those with the lowest DDL score and 1 FCoV-19S-score increment had lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores (B = −1.02, 95% CI −1.22, −0.82, p < 0.001), while those with 1 DDL-score increment and 1 FCoV-19S-score increment had higher HRQoL scores (B = 0.01, 95% CI 0.00, 0.02, p = 0.016) (Table 4)
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has been placing unprecedented challenges and burdens on the economic, health, and political systems of the affected countries [1,2,3]. Preventive measures have been implemented worldwide to control COVID-19 transmissions such as lockdowns, social distancing, mask-wearing, and handwashing [5] These measures have caused a wide range of negative consequences such as a lack of social connection, mental health problems, and lifestyle changes [6,7]. This study aimed to examine the association between the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCoV-19S) and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and to examine the effect modification by HL, eHEAL, and DDL on this association. Conclusions: eHealth literacy and digital healthy diet literacy could help to protect patients’ health-related quality of life from the negative impact of the fear of COVID-19 during the pandemic
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