Adult Functional Health Literacy and its Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background and aims: Health literacy (HL) can affect individual health, health communication and error in taking medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the level of HL and associated factors among Iranian adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 240 participants over 18 years of age referring to health centers in Hamadan, west of Iran in 2015 were selected by multistage random sampling. HL was assessed by the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA). The questionnaire was completed by a trained interviewer. The independent variables were structural and intermediate social factors based on the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). Data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS version 22. Results: Average age of the participants was 30.88 ±7.38 years and 75.4% of the them were female. The total score of HL was 64.58 ±16.71 (range: 23.82-98.98). Overall, 31.7% (n=76) of the participants had adequate HL level, 32.5% (n=78) had borderline HL level and 35.8% (n=86) had inadequate HL level. Additionally, participants with higher educational levels had higher HL scores than those with lower educational levels (P<0.001). HL score was significantly higher in males than in females (P=0.017). Conclusion: HL level seems to be inadequate among Iranian adults in the west of Iran. Moreover, enhancing social determinants such as educational level seems to increase HL. The results highlighted the necessity for change and improvement in adults’ HL.

Health Literacy, Media Exposure and Behavior Among Young Adults During the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…The correlation between the respondent characteristics by gender, exposure to mass and nonmass media information to the level of health literacy of COVID-19 and behavior in new normal life shows as follows. The categorization of variable health literacy and behavior of new normal life using cut-point scores (<60) for the inadequate or low, (60-75) for the borderline or mediumlevel and (>75) for the adequate or high level 6,22 In this study, 254 participants aged 17-33 years were interviewed, 63.7% of participants were female, and 30.3% were male. In the classification of the health literacy rate of COVID-19, 64.9% of male had adequate literacy levels, and only 19.5% were adequate, while the female group Based on descriptive data, media exposure through mass media has a higher intensity in increasing health literacy to young adult.…”

“…The COVID-19 health literacy variable identifies the knowledge level of respondents regarding spread and symptoms and specific prevention behavior 21 and how find and understand information about the corona virus 22 , the score of cut point adapted by Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults' Questionnaire (TFHLAQ) 6 . As for categorization in the variable health literacy and behavior of new normal life using cut-point scores (<60) for the inadequate or low, (60-75) for the borderline or medium-level and (>75) for the adequate or high level 6,22 The information media exposure variable identifies mass and non-mass media variations or information sources 7,13,23 . The indicators of new habitual adaptation behavior variable include 23 question items in an effort to prevent transmission (new normal life) COVID-19.…”

“…5 Health literacy is the people's capacity to receive, understand, conclude, and apply information to make health decisions ,including healthy behavior and self-care activities. 6 Decision making on the health of young people was influenced by ability in critical thinking and evaluate every health media literacy which received. 7 Young people are considered a group that has a high level of mobilization in the community, this level of mobilization is a concern to reduce the rate of spread of COVID-19.…”

“…8 Previous research has also explained that young people need to be empowered and improve their health literacy so that they can become a model for personal health education and more massive social change in preventing COVID-19. 6,8 Based on previous research in level of knowledge regarding COVID-19 as many as 96.9% of participants with high knowledge. 9 In other studies were conducted to South Kalimantan society as many as 69.2% of the respondents were also in high knowledge level about COVID-19.…”

Are multiple sclerosis patients and their caregivers more anxious and more committed to following the basic preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic?

“…Though the educational level only does not account for poor knowledge about risk for COVID-19, the lack of knowledge may be partly attributed to the different educational levels. Lower education is one of several factors that influence health literacy such as history of depression and/or anxiety, gender, age, disability, and culture and language ( Moeini et al., 2019 ; Lee et al., 2015 ; Corona et al., 2008 ; Rowlands et al., 2017 ; Nguyen and Gilbert, 2019 ; Protheroe et al., 2017 ). Such lack of knowledge necessitate implementing health education programs by the local health authorities and health care providers to reduce anxiety, depression and stress and to educate MS patients and their caregivers about their disease.…”