Multidimensional eHealth Literacy for Infertility
Journal article
Sykes, S., Wills, J., Frings, D., Church, S. and Wood, K. (2020). Multidimensional eHealth Literacy for Infertility. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 17 (3), pp. 966-966. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030966
Authors | Sykes, S., Wills, J., Frings, D., Church, S. and Wood, K. |
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Abstract | Infertility is a major public health issue and increasingly, the internet is used as a source of information and advice. The aim of this study is to understand the eHealth literacy of individuals and couples in relation to infertility. A non-probability sample of 27 participants was recruited from existing support groups, online advertising and snowballing representing the diverse population groups for whom involuntary childlessness is an issue. Information online was used both for decision making and developing interactive health literacy for health consultations. Participants may be both consumers and purveyors of information to others in distributed health literacy. Cognitive skills are required to appraise an inconsistent evidence base and potentially biased information from private providers of treatments. Accounts of geographical variations in treatment options, the cost of private treatment and for some, a sense that information and services were directed towards female and heterosexual couples, led some participants to political action online creating an important sense of empowerment. The study offers a new conceptual framework for eHealth literacy in the context of infertility, that combines use of the web and virtual communities in which functional, interactive, critical and distributed health literacy play a part in an online environment.</jats:p> |
Year | 2020 |
Journal | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
Journal citation | 17 (3), pp. 966-966 |
Publisher | MDPI |
ISSN | 1660-4601 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030966 |
Web address (URL) | https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/3/966 |
Publication dates | |
Online | 04 Feb 2020 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 04 Feb 2020 |
Deposited | 10 Feb 2020 |
Accepted author manuscript | License File Access Level Open |
https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/item/89053
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