Relationship between mindfulness and eHealth literacy: A cross-sectional study using validated scales

OBJECTIVES: To explore the extent to which perceived mindfulness is associated with eHealth literacy levels while accounting for sociodemographic variables. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: An online survey was conducted among 893 Lebanese adults from March to September 2024 using snowball sampling. The questionnaire collected sociodemographic data and responses to the validated Arabic versions of the e-Health Information-Seeking Assessment scale (e-HISA) and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). RESULTS: Among 893 participants (60% female and mean age = 38.01 ± 13.38 years), most demonstrated moderate mindfulness (63.75%) and adequate eHealth literacy (60.48%). Initially, mindfulness per se was not significantly correlated with eHealth literacy (r = 0.052; p = 0.122). However, cluster analysis identified two distinct profiles: cluster 1 comprised younger, educated females with higher mindfulness (63.7%), while cluster 2 included older, less educated males with lower mindfulness (36.3%). Linear regression showed that belonging to cluster 1 (β = 2.94) and using telemedicine (β = 2.38) significantly and independently predicted higher eHealth literacy, while married status (β = -1.01) and household crowding (β = -0.96) were associated with lower scores. CONCLUSION: While mindfulness was not associated directly with eHealth literacy, cluster analysis identified younger, educated, mindful individuals as most proficient with digital health tools. These findings suggest that successful eHealth interventions should target specific demographic and psychological profiles, with implications for designing tailored digital health education programs to ensure equitable healthcare access.