Digital Health Literacy and Health-Related Well-Being Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Socioeconomic Status Among University Students in Hong Kong and Macao

In this study, we examined the association between DHL (in relation to COVID-19) and psychological wellbeing of university students amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explored the moderating role of SES in this relationship. The Cronbach’s α of the scale was .94. DHL was measured by the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI),1 and some items were modified to reflect COVID-19 information search and utilization. The Cronbach’s α of DHLI was .90. SES was measured by asking whether respondents’ disposable income were sufficient. We used a 3-model stepwise ordinal logistic regression technique to elicit the specified relationships. Simple slope technique was used to evaluate different SES levels and their effect on DHL and psychological well-being. A total of 801 people aged 16 years or older responded to the survey. The majority of them (68.5%) were undergraduate students. The influence of DHL in the psychological well-being among students is hardly a linear one as SES can dictate the extent of digital skills and knowledge as well as the application of these resources. A contextual approach to DHL promotion that considers the socioeconomic environments of students are likely to be successful. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)