Background:The way carers of people with dementia search, find, assess and apply health related information could influence the way they care. Health Literacy (HL) and eHealth Literacy (eHL) among carers are gaining attention among researchers, organisations and policy makers. It is already known from previous research among healthcare users that better HL is associated with higher self-efficacy, better adherence to therapeutic plans and better navigation in the healthcare system. 

This study aims to describe the levels and profiles of HL and eHL among carers of people with dementia (PwD) in Greece and Cyprus and their associations with coping, self-efficacy and social support.

Methods:A sample of 174 primary carers of PwD and 67 secondary carers participated in the study. A face-to-face survey assessing HL, eHL and other caring concepts (caregiving self-efficacy, coping, perceptions towards caring and social support) was administered to primary carers. The study explored both associations between the variables of interest as well as profiles of carers based on cluster analysis

Results:Carers with higher HL were more likely to report higher score of eHL and caregiving self-efficacy. Three carers’ profiles were identified: 1) carers with High HL, eHL and Self-Efficacy 2) carers with problematic coping and negative caregiving perceptions 3) carers with High HL, eHL and a strong Social Network. 

Conclusions:Services designed to meet the needs of a carers population with these HL and eHL profiles could assist in the sustainability of the web-based services. Furthermore, tools to identify informal carers with low HL could assist healthcare professionals to provide more tailored services according to carers’ needs and enhance their HL skills.

*presenting author

 Health literacy and health equity

Digital and technological health literacy