Table 3.
Associations among demographic variables, socioeconomic status, and chronic diseases with the eHealth literacy scorea among participants seeking web-based information on COVID-19 (N=1040).
| Characteristics | Mean (SD) | Unadjusted β (95% CI) | Adjusted β (95% CI)b | SIIc | |
| Sex | N/Ad | ||||
|
|
Male | 26.00 (7.51) | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
Female | 26.19 (7.86) | 0.19 (–0.75 to 1.13) | –0.01 (–0.83 to 0.80) |
|
| Age (years) | N/A | ||||
|
|
18-39 | 28.84 (6.07) | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
40-59 | 27.18 (6.12) | –1.67 (–2.61 to –0.72)e | –0.77 (–1.82 to 0.28) |
|
|
|
≥60 | 19.60 (8.79) | –9.24 (–10.33 to –8.16)f | –5.48 (–6.91 to –4.05)f |
|
| Marital status | N/A | ||||
|
|
Never been married | 28.99 (5.93) | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
Married/cohabitating | 25.07 (7.93) | –3.92 (–4.95 to –2.90)f | –1.03 (–2.09 to 0.02) |
|
|
|
Divorced/separated/widowed | 23.65 (9.07) | –5.35 (–7.64 to –3.06)f | –1.83 (–3.93 to 0.27) |
|
| Education | 13.27f | ||||
|
|
Primary or below | 17.56 (8.45) | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
Secondary | 25.40 (6.80) | 7.84 (6.42 to 9.26)f | 3.58 (1.98 to 5.18)f |
|
|
|
Tertiary or above | 29.98 (6.34) | 12.42 (10.92 to 13.92)f | 6.22 (4.39 to 8.06)f |
|
| Income (HK $)g | 7.30f | ||||
|
|
≤10,000 | 23.86 (8.27) | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
10,001-20,000 | 25.38 (7.63) | 1.52 (0.38 to 2.65)e | –0.40 (–1.69 to 0.88) |
|
|
|
20,001-30,000 | 27.74 (6.74) | 3.88 (2.57 to 5.19)f | 0.62 (–0.86 to 2.10) |
|
|
|
>30,000 | 29.67 (6.07) | 5.81 (4.41 to 7.22)f | 2.25 (0.63 to 3.88)e |
|
| Employment status | N/A | ||||
|
|
Economically inactive | 23.40 (8.75) | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
Economically active | 27.16 (6.97) | 3.76 (2.74 to 4.78)f | 0.39 (–0.89 to 1.66) |
|
| Chronic diseases | N/A | ||||
|
|
None | 26.42 (7.50) | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
Any | 22.71 (8.89) | –3.71 (–5.35 to –2.07)f | –0.85 (–2.31 to 0.60) |
|
aeHealth literacy scores ranged between 8 and 40, with higher scores indicating higher eHealth literacy.
bMutually adjusted for the variables in the table.
cSII: slope index of inequality; SII refers to the absolute difference in the eHEALS score between the most advantaged and most disadvantaged groups, a higher score indicating a higher disparity in the eHEALS score.
dN/A: not applicable.
eP<.01.
fP<.001.
gUS $1=HK $7.8.