Beyond dementia knowledge and eHealth literacy: the influence of information sources on informal caregivers’ self-efficacy in dementia caregiving

Informal caregivers play a crucial role in dementia care, but disease progression reduces their self-efficacy in managing complex and emotionally demanding caregiving tasks. Therefore, this study aims to examine how dementia knowledge, eHealth literacy, and information sources influence caregiving self-efficacy, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. This study examined the relationships among 258 informal caregivers of people living with dementia in Malaysia. An online cross-sectional survey was administered using three established scales: the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS), the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), and the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy (RSCSE). The hierarchical multiple regression analysis found that the source of information used by caregivers significantly affected their caregiver self-efficacy compared to dementia knowledge and eHealth literacy. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis suggests that using multiple information sources significantly enhances caregiver self-efficacy, with the explained variance increasing from 6.7% to 12.6% ( p < 0.05). Caregivers who relied on written materials reported greater self-efficacy, while those who consulted doctors felt more confident in managing distressing thoughts. In contrast, caregivers who obtained information from Facebook and face-to-face support groups demonstrated lower self-efficacy, likely due to the general, nonspecific content provided. Rural caregivers felt less confident about accessing respite services, while those without partners struggled with managing disruptive behaviours, highlighting barriers such as limited services support and social isolation. Notably, Malay caregivers showed greater confidence in managing distressing thoughts, attributed to their emotional faith. These results highlight the need for multiple, professionally tailored, and culturally adapted interventions to support caregivers in addressing dementia-related challenges and improving care outcomes.