Students of St. Luke’s College of Nursing received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 29th East Asian Forum of Nursing Scholars (EAFONS) 2026, held February 26-28, 2026 at the University Cultural Centre of the National University of Singapore.

The forum gathers nurse scholars and graduate researchers across East Asia to present studies addressing emerging challenges in healthcare. This year’s conversations centered on how innovation and digital integration are reshaping nursing practice and education.

Representing the College were 29 participants composed of fourth-year nursing students and faculty members. Faculty member Mr. Allan A. Valenzuela also delivered a poster presentation during the forum. The delegation was accompanied by Research Coordinator Mr. Robert Matthew A. Marquez.

Their award-winning study, “eHealth Literacy as a Moderator of Health Anxiety and Cyberchondria among Health-Minded Adults in Selected Barangays in Quezon City,” examined how digital health literacy influences the way individuals process online health information. As more people turn to the internet for medical guidance, the study explored how levels of eHealth literacy can either mitigate or intensify health anxiety and cyberchondria. By grounding the research in selected barangays in Quezon City, the team situated a global digital concern within a local community context.

The research was conducted by Amanda Patricia Olivia D.G. Cruz, Trisha Marie O. Dalino, Stephanie D. Delgado, Pia A. Delos Santos, Heart Vallery S. Dimaano, Gianna Athena P. Donaire, and Meg Loren M. Dulnoan, under the guidance of their research adviser, Dr. Tristan Jourdan C. Dela Cruz, Head of the Graduate School of Nursing of St. Luke’s College of Nursing.

The team was the only Philippine recipient of the Best Poster Presentation Award at this year’s forum.

The study contributes to ongoing discussions on digital health behavior in the region that links community-based research to broader conversations on nursing practice in the digital era.