Digital Public Health Communication and Health Literacy

Digital technologies are reshaping the landscape of public health communication, bringing both unprecedented opportunities and new challenges. Today’s health messages move rapidly through websites, social media, mobile apps, and AI-powered platforms, reaching diverse audiences and influencing health literacy and behaviors at the population level. However, as digital channels multiply and evolve, so too do disparities in access, understanding, and trust—raising critical questions about equity, effectiveness, and ethical practice.

This Research Topic aims to explore the dynamic field of digital public health communication and health literacy. We welcome contributions that investigate how digital lifeworld can be designed, implemented, and evaluated to improve sustainability via health knowledge, support informed decision-making, enhance healthy lifestyles and foster greater equity in health outcomes.

Submissions should explore the following themes:
• Assess the reach, engagement, and impact of digital health campaigns and communication tools;
• Identify barriers and solutions for improving digital health literacy, with a focus on underserved or vulnerable groups;
• Examine the role of innovative technologies (including AI, chatbots, and interactive media) in facilitating accurate and accessible health information;
• Explore participatory and community-based approaches to digital health communication;
• Address issues of accessibility, culture, language, privacy, and ethics in online health messages;
• Develop or validate tools and methodologies for measuring digital health literacy;
• Share real-world experiences from crisis communication (e.g., pandemics) or targeted health campaigns;
• Recommend policies, educational interventions, and system-level strategies for advancing digital health communication and literacy.

This Research Topic was launched in collaboration with the 10th Digital Public Health Conference, a world-leading annual interdisciplinary event on research and innovation in digital public health, organized by University College London. We welcome submissions from speakers, attendees and the broader research community.

Keywords: digital health, health communication, health literacy, health promotion

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.