Relationship between HEALTH literacy, medication compliance and cyberchondria level in people with diabetes

The research was conducted to examine the relationship between the health literacy levels, drug use compliance and cyberchondria levels of individuals with diabetes. The sample of the study consisted of patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (n=156) who applied to a training and research hospital and met the inclusion criteria. Data; it was collected using the form containing the Demographic Characteristics of Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes, Turkish Modified-Morisky Drug Compliance Scale (MMS), Health Literacy Scale in Adult Patients with Diabetes, E-Health Literacy Scale and the Cyberchondria Severity Scale. In the evaluation of the data; ratio, percentage, mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values, ANOVA and independent groups t test, Pearson correlation test were used. Statistical significance value was accepted as p<0.05. According to the research findings; it was determined that the individuals' health literacy and e-health literacy levels were above the average, and the level of cyberchondria was at a medium level. It was determined that as individuals' critical and interactive health literacy, e-health literacy and motivation for drug use increased, the cyberchondria excessiveness dimension also increased and as the functional health literacy increased, the excessiveness dimension decreased (p<0.05). As a result, in the study in which the sub-dimensions were compared, it was found that health literacy and drug compliance were associated with cyberchondria. Excessive online health information seeking behaviors should be prevented by giving priority to practices that improve individuals' health literacy and digital literacy skills. Key Words: Medication compliance, Health literacy, Cyberchondria, Type 2 diabetes