Factors associated with electronic health literacy among older adults in Khun Thale, Mueang Surat Thani, Surat Thani

Authors

  • Thanakrit Thongrak Student in Bachelor of Science (Public Health), Faculty of Science and Technology, Suratthani Rajabhat University
  • Suchawadee Junglong Student in Bachelor of Science (Public Health), Faculty of Science and Technology, Suratthani Rajabhat University
  • Phatcharin Suwan Student in Bachelor of Science (Public Health), Faculty of Science and Technology, Suratthani Rajabhat University
  • Wongsathon Nakphuk Student in Bachelor of Science (Public Health), Faculty of Science and Technology, Suratthani Rajabhat University
  • Nipaporn Nobnorb Lecturer, Community Public Health Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Suratthani Rajabhat University

Keywords:

eHealth literacy, Older adults, Electronic information

Abstract

     This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study aiming to examine the level of electronic health literacy (eHealth literacy) and its associated factors among older adults in Khun Thale Subdistrict, Mueang District, Surat Thani Province. A total of 332 older adults were selected using two-stage random sampling. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study variables’ characteristics, while multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the associations between variables.
     The results revealed that only 24.4% (95% CI: 20.06–29.33) of the older adults had a good level of eHealth literacy. When controlling for the effects of other variables, it was found that occupation, personal health conditions, and attitude toward electronic health information were significantly associated with good eHealth literacy. Older adults engaged in business or retired from the civil service were 4.10 times more likely to have good eHealth literacy than those in agriculture or trade (p-value = 0.001). Older adults without any underlying medical conditions were 2.94 times more likely to have a good level of electronic health literacy than those with underlying medical conditions (p-value = 0.003). Moreover, individuals with moderate and high attitudes toward electronic health information were significantly more likely to exhibit good eHealth literacy (Adj OR = 11.98 and 24.39, respectively; p-value < 0.001) compared with those with low attitudes. These findings demonstrate that occupation, personal health conditions, and attitude are associated with the level of eHealth literacy among older adults. Therefore, the promotion of literacy should focus on the group with personal health conditions, the agricultural or merchant occupation groups, and the group with low attitude levels for future operations and activities.

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Published

2026-08-31

How to Cite

Thongrak, T., Junglong, S., Suwan, P., Nakphuk, W., & Nobnorb, N. (2026). Factors associated with electronic health literacy among older adults in Khun Thale, Mueang Surat Thani, Surat Thani. Journal of Public Health and Health Sciences Research, 8(2), 98–112. retrieved from https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/JPHSR/article/view/284302