Influence of technical, cognitive and socio-emotional factors on digital literacy in nursing students assessed using structural equation modeling.

Background: Digital literacy is one of the 21st-century skills that nursing students should develop and acquire. Several factors influencing digital literacy have been identified, but the predictive role of technical, cognitive, and socio-emotional factors in digital literacy remains unexplored in nursing students.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the digital literacy level and determine the predictive role of technical, cognitive, and socio-emotional factors in digital literacy among nursing students in Turkey using a structural equation modeling (SEM)-based approach.

Design: A web-based, predictive, cross-sectional study.

Settings: This study was conducted among first-, second-, third- and fourth-year students in a nursing faculty located in the capital of Turkey in the academic year 2021-2022.

Participants: Overall, 210 nursing students were recruited for this study.

Methods: The use of a digital literacy model guided data collection. Data were collected between 8 and 28 June 2022 using online Google Forms. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and SEM.

Results: Nursing students' digital literacy mean score was 67.29 (13.60). Internet self-efficacy (β = 0.31, p < 0.001), online information search strategies (β = 0.20, p = 0.003), and online privacy concerns (β = 0.14, p = 0.024) were positive predictors, whereas social media use (β = -0.13, p = 0.032) was a negative predictor of digital literacy. Among these variables, Internet self-efficacy had the most significant influence on the digital literacy level. The four variables contributed to 22 % of variance in the digital literacy level.

Conclusions: This study shows nursing students' digital literacy level is above average. Our findings suggest that technical, cognitive, and socio-emotional factors influence digital literacy.