| dc.description.abstract | In the present society, online platforms play a pivotal role in shaping how individuals access health information
among younger generations. The objectives of this study were to investigate the factors influencing online health
information-seeking behaviour among university youth, to identify the level of eHealth literacy among university
youth, and to analyse the relationship between these factors and online health information-seeking behaviour
among university youth. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) was used as the theoretical foundation for this
research. Applying a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected via an online survey from 91
management undergraduates. The collected data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation
Modelling (PLS-SEM) with the objective of analysing relationships among variables, fitting the model, and
testing. Findings reveal that social media is the predominant source of health information, while lack of time and
limited search skills are major barriers. The average eHealth literacy score was moderately high, indicating
digital readiness among younger generations. The results reveal that behavioural intention and eHealth literacy
significantly influence online health information-seeking behaviour. Furthermore, attitudes and subjective norms
were found to shape behavioural intention strongly. These findings highlight the relevance of social and
psychological factors in digital health behaviours. The study contributes theoretically by validating the TRA
model in the Sri Lankan context. Further results provide insights into the design and development of eHealth
systems for the young generation. | en_US |
