{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,2]],"date-time":"2025-11-02T07:36:06Z","timestamp":1762068966833,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,28]],"date-time":"2022-09-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1664323200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We aimed to evaluate the associations between information searching about public health and social measures (PHSM) and university students\u2019 digital health literacy (DHL) related to the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 3,084 Portuguese university students (75.7% females), with an average age of 24.2 (SD = 7.5). Sociodemographic data, DHL questionnaire and online information concerning PHSM were gathered. Cox proportional hazards models were performed. Results: Students who searched for personal protective measures achieved in shorter time sufficient \u201cevaluating reliability\u201d (HR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1; 1.7) and \u201cdetermining relevance\u201d (HR = 1.5; 95% CI = 1.2; 1.8). Searching for surveillance and response measures was associated with sufficient \u201cdetermining relevance\u201d (HR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1; 1.9). Finally, those students who searched for environmental, economic and psychosocial measures achieved in shorter time \u201cdetermining relevance\u201d (HR = 1.2; 95% CI = 1.0; 1.4). Conclusions: Searching for PHSM was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of achieving sufficient DHL subscales in a shorter time. Further studies are needed, including developing strategies to increase the availability of high-quality information concerning public health and social measures and to improve (digital) health literacy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph191912320","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,28]],"date-time":"2022-09-28T20:58:47Z","timestamp":1664398727000},"page":"12320","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Infodemic Preparedness and COVID-19: Searching about Public Health and Social Measures Is Associated with Digital Health Literacy in University Students"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6986-0007","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rafaela","family":"Ros\u00e1rio","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), 3000-232 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Nursing Research Centre, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1406-4585","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"In\u00eas","family":"Fronteira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7941-0285","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria R. O.","family":"Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Cl\u00e1udia","family":"Augusto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), 3000-232 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Nursing Research Centre, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5632-2776","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Jos\u00e9","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"Nursing Research Centre, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1782-7226","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Melanie","family":"Messer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing Science II, Faculty I, Trier University, 54296 Trier, Germany"}]},{"given":"Silvana","family":"Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), 3000-232 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Duarte","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), 3000-232 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Nursing Research Centre, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2042-309X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Neida","family":"Ramos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2892-1624","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katharina","family":"Rathmann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, 36037 Fulda, Germany"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1714-4783","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Orkan","family":"Okan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 80992 Munich, Germany"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7367-5362","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kevin","family":"Dadaczynski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Science, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, 36037 Fulda, Germany"},{"name":"Center for Applied Health Science, Leuphana University of Lueneburg, 21335 Lueneburg, Germany"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1489","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(22)00172-6","article-title":"Pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: An exploratory analysis of infection and fatality rates, and contextual factors associated with preparedness in 177 countries, from Jan 1, 2020, to Sept 30, 2021","volume":"399","author":"Bollyky","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1391","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2020.17395","article-title":"Suboptimal US Response to COVID-19 Despite Robust Capabilities and Resources","volume":"324","author":"Nuzzo","year":"2020","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jeconom.2020.09.003","article-title":"Causal impact of masks, policies, behavior on early covid-19 pandemic in the U.S","volume":"220","author":"Chernozhukov","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. 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