2025 Volume 42 Issue 1 Pages 28-36
In this study, we investigated and analyzed the e-health literacy of university students to examine the relationship between eHEALS (Japanese version), a measure of e-health literacy, and their actual information-seeking behavior and site evaluation methods. Additionally, we analyzed the correlation between eHEALS and the critical thinking attitude scale, as critical thinking skills are essential not only for proficient information search but also for discerning the accuracy of encountered information. The results revealed that students in the higher group with eHEALS scores tended to evaluate health and medical information websites by giving importance to criteria such as “the content is balanced and fair”, “additional information sources like support organizations and references are listed”, and “the identity of the website creator is disclosed”. Furthermore, it was observed that students with higher eHEALS scores exhibited elevated critical thinking skills in objectivity and inquisitiveness.
