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. 2021 May 6;18(9):4929.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094929.

Negative Impact of Fear of COVID-19 on Health-Related Quality of Life Was Modified by Health Literacy, eHealth Literacy, and Digital Healthy Diet Literacy: A Multi-Hospital Survey

Minh H Nguyen  1 , Thu T M Pham  2   3 , Kien T Nguyen  4   5 , Yen H Nguyen  6   7   8 , Tien V Tran  9   10 , Binh N Do  9   11 , Hung K Dao  12 , Huu C Nguyen  13   14 , Ngoc T Do  15 , Tung H Ha  16 , Dung T Phan  17   18 , Khue M Pham  2   19 , Linh V Pham  20   21 , Phuoc B Nguyen  22 , Hoai T T Nguyen  23 , Thinh V Do  24 , Dung T Ha  25 , Hung Q Nguyen  26 , Huong T M Ngo  27 , Manh V Trinh  28 , Thuy T T Mai  29 , Nhan P T Nguyen  30 , Anh L Tra  31 , Thao T P Nguyen  32   33 , Kien T Nguyen  34 , Chyi-Huey Bai  1   3   35 , Tuyen Van Duong  36
Affiliations

Negative Impact of Fear of COVID-19 on Health-Related Quality of Life Was Modified by Health Literacy, eHealth Literacy, and Digital Healthy Diet Literacy: A Multi-Hospital Survey

Minh H Nguyen et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been disseminating fear in the community, which has affected people's quality of life, especially those with health problems. Health literacy (HL), eHealth literacy (eHEAL), and digital healthy diet literacy (DDL) may have potential impacts on containing the pandemic and its consequences. This study aimed to examine the association between the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCoV-19S) and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and to examine the effect modification by HL, eHEAL, and DDL on this association.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 11 hospitals across Vietnam from 7 April to 31 May 2020. Data were collected on 4348 outpatients, including demographic characteristics, HL, eHEAL, DDL, FCoV-19S, and HRQoL. Multiple linear regression and interaction models were used to explore associations.

Results: Patients with higher FCoV-19S scores had lower HRQoL scores (unstandardized coefficient, B = -0.78, p < 0.001). HL (B = 0.20, p < 0.001), eHEAL (B = 0.24, p < 0.001), and DDL (B = 0.20, p < 0.001) were positively associated with higher HRQoL scores. The negative impact of FCoV-19S on HRQoL was significantly attenuated by higher eHEAL score groups (from one standard deviation (SD) below the mean, B = -0.93, p < 0.001; to the mean, B = -0.85, p < 0.001; and one SD above the mean, B = -0.77, p < 0.001); and by higher DDL score groups (from one SD below the mean, B = -0.92, p < 0.001; to the mean, B = -0.82, p < 0.001; and one SD above the mean, B = -0.72, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: eHealth literacy and digital healthy diet literacy could help to protect patients' health-related quality of life from the negative impact of the fear of COVID-19 during the pandemic.

Keywords: digital healthy diet literacy; eHealth literacy; fear of COVID-19; health literacy; health-related quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Simple slope plot of interaction between eHealth literacy and fear of COVID-19 on health-related quality of life (N = 4348). Note: Z = −1, one SD below the mean; Z = 0, the mean; Z = +1, 1 SD above the mean. Z-score is the number of SD above or below the mean. Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Simple slope plot of interaction between digital healthy diet literacy and fear of COVID-19 on health-related quality of life (N = 4348). Note: Z = −1, one SD below the mean; Z = 0, the mean; Z = +1, 1 SD above the mean. Z-score is the number of SD above or below the mean. Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation.
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