The COVID-HL University Students Survey

Digital Health literacy in Times of Infodemic

Digital Health Literacy among University Students in the COVID-19 Era

In response to the many uncertainties and the ever-changing circumstances in society created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVID-HL Consortium has conducted a survey on (digital) health literacy in relation to COVID-19 among university students globally.

Not much is known about university student`s health literacy especially in relation to crisis situations that affect whole of societal life including social, economic and political impact on their everyday practices. Therefore, this survey wanted to shed light on how students face the challenges of this pandemic and how they cope with the fact that their lives are being turned upside down for the better or the worse. In particular we were interested in learning about their health literacy levels, their online information seeking profiles, the topics they search for and where, what attitudes they have towards their current situation living in this age of pandemic, their worries and future time perspectives as well as health and wellbeing status.

Main goals of the survey

The main goals of the COVID-HL-Survey are therefore to:

  • assess digital health literacy of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic,
  • explore the different digital sources of informationstudents consult when seeking for COVID-19 information and identify theirpreferred choices,
  • capture students’ future time perspective/worries and theirrelation with student`s digital health literacy, information seeking behaviourand health situation, and to
  • assess students Sense of Coherence and its association withstudent`s digital health literacy, information seeking behaviour and health situation.

The benefit of the survey is to enable research, policy and practice to develop policies and programmes to foster healthy and protective behaviour, preventive measures and adherence with the COVID-19 policies. Digital health literacy will empower university students and all other population groups to take greater control in the prevention of COVID-19 and its spread, and are likely to lead to better health outcomes.

30

Countries

Worldwide, 30 countries were involved in the COVID-HL-student survey.

64,658

Respondents

So far almost 65.000 university students completed the COVID-HL- University Students Survey

36

Publications

So far, 34 scientific papers have been published and more are in preperation.

Main goals

Digital health literacy

Assess digital health literacy of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Digital information sources

Explore sources of information students use when seeking for COVID-19 information

Current & future perspective

Capture university students orientation towards viewing their life and their future

Personal health situation

Advance understanding of students health (e.g. wellbeing) in pandemic times

Countries involved

Germany

Prof. Dr. Kevin Dadaczynski, Prof. Dr. Katharina Rathmann

Fulda University of Applied Sciences | Public Health Centre Fulda

Prof. Dr. Orkan Okan

Technical University Munich | TUM School of Medicine and Health

Prof. Dr. Melanie Messer

University of Trier | Departement Nursing Science II

Portugal

Ass. Prof. Dr. Rafaela Rosario

University of Minho

Ass. Professor Dr. Inês Fronteira

Universidade Nova in Lisbon

Dr. Neida Ramos

Universidade Nova in Lisbon

Poland

Prof. Dr. Mariusz Duplaga

Jagiellonian University in Kraków

Australia

Prof. Dr. Kirsten McCaffery

University of Sydney | Health Literacy Lab

Dr. Kirsten Pickles

University of Sydney | Health Literacy Lab

Dr. Rachael Dodd

University of Sydney | Health Literacy Lab

Austria

Prof. Dr. Barbara Gasteiger-Klicpera

University of Graz | Institute of Education Research and Teacher Education

Franziska Reitegger

University of Graz | Institute of Education Research and Teacher Education

Michaela Wright

University of Graz | Research Center for Inclusive Education (RCIE)

Bulgaria

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ioannis Patias

Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” | Faculty of Mathematics and Informatic

Assoc. Prof. Aleksandrina Vodenicharova

Medical University Sofia | Faculty of Public Health

Ass. Professor Nikoleta Leventi

Medical University Sofia | Faculty of Public Health

Canada

Assoc. Professor Erica Di Ruggiero

University of Toronto

Paola Ardiles Gamboa

Simon Fraser University

Simran Purewal

Simon Fraser University

China and Hongkong

Professor Angela Yee Man

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Ass. Professor Padmore A. Amoah

Lingnan University, Hong Kong

Dr. Sam Lau

Hong Kong Baptist University

Denmark

Assoc. Professor

University College South Denmark

Dr. Carsten Kronborg Bak

University College South Denmark

Dr. Jesper von Seelen

University College South Denmark

Ecuador

Professor María Fernanda Rivadeneira Guerrero

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador

Finnland

Adjunct Professor Marjorita Sormunen

University of Eastern Finland

Dr. Pirjo Lindfors

Tampere University

France

Assoc. Professor Emily Darlington

Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

Dr. Julien Masson

Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1

Ghana

Dr. John Elvis Hagan Jnr.

University of Cape Coast

Dr. Frank Quansah

University of Education Winniba

Medina Srem-Sai

University of Education Winniba

Greece

Assoc. Professor Dr. Evanthia Sakellari

University of West Attica

Professor Areti Lagiou

University of West Attica

Ireland

Professor Saoirse Nic Gabhainn

National University of Ireland

Professor Colette Kelly

University of Galway

Dr. Pádraig MacNeela

University of Galway

Italy

Assoc. Professor Guglielmo Bonaccorsi

University of Florence

Assoc. Professor Chiara Lorini

University of Florence

Assoc. Professor Veronica Velasco

Milano-Bicocca University

Japan

Seigo Mitsutake

Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology

Assoc. Professor Yoshimitsu Takahashi

Kyoto University | School of Public Health

Lebanon

Assoc. Professor Carmel Bouclaous

Lebanese American University

Malaysia

Professor Dr. Tin Tin Su

Monash University | School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Pakistan

Professor Muhammad Zakria Zakar

University of Okara

Professor Rubeena Zakar

University of the Punjab

Philippines

Professor Carmen C. Tolabing

University of the Philippines | Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Dr. Derick Erl P. Sumalapao

University of the Philippines | Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Romania

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marius Ungureanu

Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Department of Public Health

Dr. Madalina Coman

Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Department of Public Health

Serbia

Professor Aleksandra Jovic-Vranes

Belgrade University

Slovenia

Dr. Mitja Vrdelja

National Institute of Public Health Slovenia

Dr. Vesna Pucelji

National Institute of Public Health Slovenia

South Korea

Assoc. Professor Heeran Chun

Jungwon University | Department of Health Administration

Dr. Eun-Ja Park

Korea Institute for Health Social Affairs

Spain

Assoc. Professor María J. Miranda-Velasco

University of Extremadura

Taiwan

Ass. Professor Duong Van Tuyen

Taipei Medical University

Professor Cheng-Yu Lin

Shih Hsin University

Assoc. Professor Dr. Sheng-Chih Chen

National ChengChi University

Turkey

Professor Sibel Sakarya

Koç University | School of Medicine

Assoc. Professor Pınar Soylar

Fırat University | Health Science Faculty

Dr. Özlem Öztürk

Ankara University | Faculty of Nursing

Professor Nadi Bakırcı

Acıbadem University

Professor Pınar Erbay Dündar

Celal Bayar University

United Kingdom

Professor Jane Wills

London South Bank University

Professor Susie Sykes

London South Bank University

Professor Gill Rowlands

Newcastle University

United States

Professor Tetine Sentell

University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Professor Jennifer Manganello

University at Albany | School of Public Health

Assoc. Professor Philip Massey

University of California

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