Digital health literacy and health anxiety in Hungary − a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Understanding the relationship between digital health literacy and health anxiety is increasingly important in the context of digitised health information environments. Objectives The aim of the study was to describe the levels of digital health literacy and health anxiety among Hungarian adults, and to investigate the background factors influencing both. Methods A total of 314 participants aged 18 years and older completed an online questionnaire. The survey included the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) and a health self-report item from the Hungarian National Health Interview Survey. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent samples t-tests, Cohen's d, Pearson and Spearman correlations and a significance threshold of p < 0.05 were used. Results Women reported significantly higher health anxiety scores than men (34.8 vs. 33.0; p < 0.005), especially for the subscale ‘perceived likelihood of getting sick’. The strongest gender difference occurred in the 35-64 age group. Health anxiety increased with age, with the highest scores recorded in the 65+ age group (p = 0.008). Self-rated health was strongly correlated with health anxiety: individuals who rated their health as ‘poor’ scored ∼44 points on the SHAI, while those who rated their health as ‘excellent’ scored ∼30 points (ρ = 0.39; p < 0.001). The mean eHEALS score was 30.2 (SD = 6.3). A significant negative correlation was found between digital health literacy and health anxiety (ρ = -0.18; p = 0.001), suggesting that higher digital health literacy was associated with lower health anxiety. Conclusions Although weak, the association between digital health literacy and health anxiety is statistically significant, particularly when comparing extreme groups. Women, older adults and those with poorer self-rated health tended to report higher health anxiety. Key messages • Higher digital health literacy may serve as a protective factor against health anxiety, although the association is weak and influenced by individual characteristics. • Women, older adults and those with poorer self-rated health are?particularly susceptible to increased health anxiety, highlighting the need for targeted mental and digital health promotion.