Determinants of health literacy and health behavior regarding infectious respiratory diseases: a pathway model

Abstract

BackgroundHealth literacy has been defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand the basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Currently, few studies have validated the causal pathways of determinants of health literacy through the use of statistical modeling. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a health literacy model at an individual level that could best explain the determinants of health literacy and the associations between health literacy and health behaviors even health status.MethodsSkill-based health literacy test and a self-administrated questionnaire survey were conducted among 3222 Chinese adult residents. Path analysis was applied to validate the model.ResultsThe model explained 38.6% of variance for health literacy, 11.7% for health behavior and 2.3% for health status: (GFI = 0.9990; RMR = 0.0521; χ2 = 10.2151, P = 0.1159). Education has positive and direct effect on prior knowledge (β = 0.324) and health literacy (β = 0.346). Health literacy is also affected by prior knowledge (β = 0.245) and age (β = -0.361). Health literacy is a direct influencing factor of health behavior (β = 0.101). The most important factor of health status is age (β = 0.107). Health behavior and health status have a positive interaction effect.ConclusionThis model explains the determinants of health literacy and the associations between health literacy and health behaviors well. It could be applied to develop intervention strategies to increase individual health literacy, and then to promote health behavior and health status.

Patients' Delay in Seeking Health Care for Tuberculosis Diagnosis in East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia

“…Younger people may have better information, while older people may have less awareness and traditional cultural beliefs. 23,24 With regard to occupation, farmers and merchants were more delayed compared with government employees; this could be related to lack of awareness, accessibility, and difference in beliefs. Patients with EPTB were more delayed compared with PTB; this could be due to the nature of EPTB, which has unspecified signs and symptoms.…”

Health Literacy and Some Socio-Demographic Aspects under One Health Approach in Eastern Tanzania: Connections and Realities

“…Numerous studies have measured HL (Baker et al, 2002;Gazmararian et al, 2003;Wolf, Feinglass, Thompson, & Baker, 2010;Edwards et al, 2012;Sorensen et al, 2012;Sun et al, 2013;Sørensen et al, 2015); though, most of these studies have been conducted on developed world; and very limited carried out in the developing world (Stone et al, 2011). It should however be noted that none of these studies have taken into consideration the reality that optimal health for animals, humans and the environment will only be achieved after having in place collaborative working efforts between humans, animals and the environmental professionals.…”

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“…Students' theoretical and practical knowledge about medicines and diseases was seen in their descriptions, which are in line with main processes in healthcare [14,15]: keeping healthy, detecting health problems, diagnosing diseases and treating diseases. Fourth graders were able to understand the causes of diseases, symptoms, treatment and prevention.…”