From Health Literacy to Cyberchondriac Literacy: A Descriptive Study Among University Students in Health-related Fields

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cyberchondria and health literacy levels among university students enrolled in health-related programs.Material and Methods: The study, a descriptive cross-sectional investigation, was conducted between November 1, 2023, and February 1, 2024, involving 280 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Health Sciences at a university in Ankara, Türkiye. Data collection instruments included a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-33), and the Health Literacy Scale. Analyses were conducted using independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Tukey’s post-hoc tests and Pearson correlation coefficient. Ethical clearance was obtained, and all participants provided written informed consent.Results: The sample consisted predominantly of female students (94.3%), and the largest group was second-year students (35.5%). The mean health literacy score was 34.76 ± 6.15, and the mean cyberchondria severity score was 84.44 ± 15.69. Health literacy differed significantly by department and year of study (p .05), with nursing and second-year students showing the highest scores. Cyberchondria severity did not differ significantly by sex, department, or year (p .05). Correlation analysis indicated that higher health literacy was associated with lower compulsion (r = –.233, p .01), lower mistrust of medical professionals (r = –.279, p .01), and slightly higher excessiveness (r = .134, p .05).Conclusions: Higher health literacy may reduce compulsive health information-seeking but can also be associated with more frequent online searching. Although health literacy was negatively related to mistrust of medical professionals in this study, this relationship may reflect enhanced critical evaluation rather than skepticism. Educational interventions should focus on strengthening students’ appraisal skills while promoting balanced information-seeking behaviors and supportive patient–provider communication.Implication for nursing practice: The findings support integrating e-health literacy education into nursing curricula to foster balanced, critical health information-seeking behaviors, reduce anxiety-driven searching, and maintain positive patient–provider relationships. Nurse managers and policymakers should encourage training that strengthens information evaluation skills while fostering trust among healthcare professionals.