Latent profiles of digital health literacy and perceived stigma in burn patients: a cross-sectional study

Background Prior research has consistently demonstrated that higher levels of digital health literacy contribute positively to improved mental health outcomes and overall quality of life among patients. Nevertheless, the interplay between digital health literacy and the experience of perceived stigma—particularly among burn patients—remains underexplored, and the potential heterogeneity within this relationship has not been adequately addressed. Methods This cross-sectional study, conducted from June to July 2025, recruited 534 burn patients (mean age 31.05 ± 9.52 years; 61.0% male) from three tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. Participants completed validated scales assessing digital health literacy, social support, appearance anxiety, perceived stigma, and demographics. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations, latent profile analysis (LPA) with fit indices, univariate analyses (chi-square tests and t -tests), and multinomial logistic regression. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Digital health literacy was negatively correlated with perceived stigma ( r = −0.386, p < 0.01). LPA identified two profiles: “low digital health literacy-high perceived stigma” (40.2% of sample) and “high digital health literacy-low perceived stigma” (59.8% of sample). Univariate analyses revealed significant differences between profiles in education (χ 2 = 35.795, p < 0.001), social support ( t = 18.848, p < 0.001), and appearance anxiety ( t = 6.222, p < 0.001). Multinomial logistic regression, with high digital health literacy-low perceived stigma as reference, showed social support as a protective factor (OR = 0.125, p < 0.001), appearance anxiety as a risk factor (OR = 1.284, p = 0.037), and junior high/high school education as a risk (OR = 0.149, p = 0.008). Conclusion This study confirms heterogeneity in digital health literacy and perceived stigma among burn patients, with social support and appearance anxiety as key influencers. Findings support targeted interventions to enhance digital health literacy and reduce perceived stigma, advancing precision psychological care for burn survivors.