Hope and eHealth literacy across adulthood: The mediating roles of self-efficacy and openness, and the moderating role of age

This study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying adults’ perceived eHealth literacy by integrating Snyder’s hope theory and Bandura’s social cognitive theory within a moderated parallel mediation framework. Using cross-sectional data from 1325 Chinese adults, we tested whether self-efficacy and openness to experience mediated the association between hope and eHealth literacy and whether these pathways varied across age groups. Results showed that hope was positively associated with eHealth literacy both directly and indirectly. Self-efficacy emerged as a robust mediator across adulthood, whereas the openness-mediated pathway was significant among younger and older adults but attenuated to nonsignificance in midlife. Age also moderated the relationship between self-efficacy and eHealth literacy, with the strongest effect observed in midlife. These findings highlight hope as a foundational motivational resource that operates through both confidence (self-efficacy) and cognitive exploration (openness), but in age-differentiated ways. The results underscore the importance of designing age-sensitive digital health interventions – such as mastery-oriented support to enhance self-efficacy across adulthood, alongside exploratory learning opportunities for younger and older adults. By elucidating distinct psychological pathways at different developmental stages, this study advances theoretical understanding of digital health engagement and informs tailored strategies for promoting eHealth literacy across the adult lifespan.