Exploring E-Health Literacy Levels among Turkish Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Access to digital health information has increased for women diagnosed with breast cancer; however, searching, understanding, and interpreting this information requires adequate e-health literacy. This study aimed to determine the e-health literacy levels of women diagnosed with breast cancer and to examine the relationship between e-health literacy and selected sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. In addition, women's awareness of e-health and telerehabilitation concepts, as well as their internet use patterns, were evaluated to inform future digital health initiatives. Data were collected through face-to-face and online methods using an Information Form to assess participant characteristics and the E-health Literacy Scale to measure e-health literacy. The study included 336 voluntary Turkish-speaking women aged 18 years and older diagnosed with breast cancer.The median e-health literacy score on the E-health Literacy Scale was 25 (range: 8-40), with a mean score of 24.6 +/- 7.62. E-health literacy levels were significantly associated with age, educational level, time since diagnosis, and awareness of e-health and telerehabilitation concepts (p < .05), with lower scores observed among older women. In multivariable linear regression analysis, these sociodemographic and care-related factors jointly explained approximately 47% of the variance in e-health literacy levels. Overall, the findings indicate that women with breast cancer in Türkiye have limited awareness of e-health and telerehabilitation concepts, and that e-health literacy levels are significantly associated with age, educational level, time since diagnosis, and awareness of telerehabilitation. These results underscore the importance of developing targeted digital health education initiatives and awareness-based interventions to enhance e-health literacy and support equitable access to digital health services among breast cancer survivors.