Associations between health anxiety, eHealth literacy and self-reported health: A cross-sectional study

To explore the associations and gender differences between health anxiety, eHealth literacy and self-reported health in Chinese university students.

1,205 university students aged 18-22 years were voluntarily recruited to respond to an online self-report questionnaire.

The severity level of health anxiety among university students was ranked as lifestyle anxiety, psychological anxiety, appearance anxiety, physical anxiety. There were significant gender differences in appearance anxiety, and yet no in eHealth literacy of university students. eHealth literacy was positively associated with self-reported health; health anxiety was negatively associated with self-reported health. Female's eHealth literacy, lifestyle, psychological and physical anxiety, and male's eHealth literacy, appearance anxiety significantly impacted on their self-reported health.

The lower eHealth literacy or the more health anxiety, the worse their self-reported health. The findings underscored the importance for university students to improve eHealth literacy and reduce health anxiety. Appropriate interventions with gender differences were urgently needed.