Empowering digital public health: a study on the mechanisms by which the application of digital technology drives social entrepreneurial intentions in the health sector among university students.

Amidst the tide of the rapid development of digital public health, digital technology has become a core tool driving university students to address social pain points such as health inequality and engage in social innovation. Based on social innovation theory, this study constructs a multiple mediation model of "digital technology application--digital health practice literacy--psychological capital--social entrepreneurial intention," aiming to explore the internal capability and psychological transmission pathways through which digital technology empowerment influences university students' social entrepreneurial intention. Using questionnaire data from 276 students and structural equation modeling with Bootstrap testing, results indicate: (1) digital technology directly enhances social entrepreneurial intention; (2) both digital health practice literacy and psychological capital independently mediate this relationship; and (3) a sequential pathway exists whereby digital health practice literacy strengthens psychological capital, further reinforcing entrepreneurial intention. This study clarifies the dual "capability-mindset" mechanism of digital empowerment, extends research on digital health-driven social innovation, and provides actionable insights for universities to cultivate digitally proficient, psychologically resilient social entrepreneurs.