Assessment of health literacy, digital readiness, and willingness to use artificial intelligence for health promotion among secondary school adolescents in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria

Health literacy and digital readiness are critical determinants of adolescent engagement with emerging health technologies. Limited evidence exists regarding Nigerian adolescents’ preparedness for AI-enhanced health interventions. This paper assessed health literacy, digital readiness, and willingness to use artificial intelligence (AI) for health promotion among secondary school adolescents in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 secondary school students (aged 13–18 years) selected through multistage stratified random sampling from 12 schools. Data were collected using culturally adapted, validated questionnaires (response rate: 88.2%). Adequate health literacy was found in 62.3% (95% CI: 56.8%, 67.8%), high digital readiness in 78.7% (95% CI: 74.1%, 83.3%), and AI willingness in 73.3% (95% CI: 68.3%, 78.3%). Health literacy increased with age (β=0.31, p<0.001) and parental education (β=0.28, p<0.001). Digital readiness was higher among younger adolescents (13–15 years: 82.4% vs. 16–18 years: 68.9%, p=0.003) and personal smartphone owners (88.3% vs. 45.2%, p<0.001). Digital readiness explained 51.2% of variance in AI willingness (adjusted R²=0.512, p<0.001), while health literacy explained 36.5% (adjusted R²=0.365, p<0.001), in the adolescents demonstrated moderate health literacy, high digital readiness, and strong willingness to use AI. Digital readiness was the strongest predictor of AI willingness. AI-enhanced health promotion programmes should integrate health literacy training and leverage adolescents’ digital capabilities, with attention to equity in access to devices.