Beyond Social Media Use: A Cross-Sectional Study of Digital Engagement and Perceived eHealth Literacy Among Nursing...

Background/Objective: Social media platforms have become increasingly integrated into nursing students' academic and daily lives, influencing how health-related information is accessed, evaluated, and shared. At the same time, eHealth literacy has emerged as an important competency for nursing students within contemporary digital healthcare environments. This study aimed to examine the relationship between multidimensional social networking engagement and perceived eHealth literacy among undergraduate nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was used among undergraduate nursing students (N = 146). Data were collected using an electronic survey that included demographic characteristics, the Social Networking Usage Questionnaire, and the Revised eHealth Literacy Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 26. Results: Participants reported moderate-to-high social networking engagement and generally favorable perceived eHealth literacy. A strong positive correlation was identified between SNUQ and eHEALS-R scores (r = 0.75, p < 0.001), with academic use showing the strongest dimension-level association with perceived eHealth literacy. In the adjusted regression model, social networking engagement remained independently associated with perceived eHealth literacy, whereas demographic variables and daily social media use showed no significant associations. Conclusions: The findings suggest that how nursing students engage with digital platforms is associated with their confidence in accessing, evaluating, and applying online health information. Strengthening purposeful and critical digital engagement within nursing education may help prepare students for contemporary digital healthcare environments.