BMC Psychology (Dec 2024)

The impact of electronic health literacy on emotional management ability among college students: the mediating roles of peer relationships and exercise self-efficacy

  • Weidong Zhu,
  • Jun Liu,
  • Hu Lou,
  • Fanzheng Mu,
  • Bo Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02276-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

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Abstract Objective This study aims to explore electronic health literacy’s impact on college students’ emotional management ability and analyze the chained mediating effects of peer relationships and exercise self-efficacy. Methods The study used stratified, cluster, and staged sampling methods to collect demographic information. Electronic health literacy, peer relationships, exercise self-efficacy, and emotional management ability data were collected among college students using the Questionnaire Star software. A total of 30,105 valid questionnaires were obtained, with a valid response rate of 98.7%. Using Process Model 6, investigated how electronic health literacy sequentially influences emotional management ability through mediators such as peer relationships and exercise self-efficacy. Results There was a significant positive correlation between electronic health literacy and emotional management ability (r = 0.496, P < 0.01), between electronic health literacy and peer relationships (r = 0.226, P < 0.01), and between electronic health literacy and exercise self-efficacy (r = 0.180, P < 0.01). Peer relationships were significantly positively correlated with exercise self-efficacy (r = 0.142, P < 0.01) and emotional management ability (r = 0.396, P < 0.01). Exercise self-efficacy was significantly positively correlated with emotional management ability (r = 0.339, P < 0.01). Electronic health literacy significantly and positively predicted emotional management ability (β = 0.254, P < 0.001). There was a mediating effect of peer relationships between electronic health literacy and emotional management ability, accounting for 58.2% of the impact, 95%CI: [0.036,0.042]. Exercise self-efficacy also mediated the relationship between electronic health literacy and emotional management ability, accounting for 61.5% of the effect, 95%CI: [0.022,0.027]. Moreover, a chained mediating effect of peer relationships and exercise self-efficacy was observed between electronic health literacy and emotional management ability, accounting for 17.1% of the effect, 95%CI: [0.004,0.005]. Conclusion Electronic health literacy among college students can positively predict emotional management ability. Both peer relationships and exercise self-efficacy play a chained mediating role between electronic health literacy and emotional management ability.

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