The Influence of Online Health Information Orientation and e-Health Literacy on Health Behavior in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to understand the effect of online health information orientation and e-health literacy on health behavior for patients with coronary artery disease.Methods: A cross-sectional and descriptive study design was used. Data collection was conducted from 130 patients with coronary artery disease who admitted to a general hospital in Pohang city between April and June 2020, and a self-administrated questionnaire was conducted. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS 22.0 program with descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression analysis.Results: Online health information orientation and e-health literacy (r = 0.77, <i>p</i>< 0.001) showed a statistically significant positive correlation, but health behavior did not show any correlation with two variables. Online health information orientation and e-health literacy had a significant correlation with exercise out of health behavior (r = 0.22, <i>p</i>= 0.013; r = 0.22, <i>p</i>= 0.011). Multiple regression analysis for health behavior revealed that the significant predictors were smoking (β= 0.36), age ≤ 49 (β= -0.35), and 50-59 (β= -0.26). These factors explained 33.2% of the variance (F = 7.41, <i>p</i>< 0.001). Among the sub-areas of health behavior, it was e-health literacy that influenced the exercise area (β= 0.22, <i>p</i>= 0.011).Conclusions: Online health information orientation and e-health literacy did not affect health behavior, but e-health literacy was found to be a significant variable in the exercise area among the lower areas of health behavior. Therefore, the higher the e-health literacy is, the higher the exercise behavior during health activities.