Health literacy level and influencing factors in university students

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 505-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neşe Uysal ◽  
Erdal Ceylan ◽  
Ayşegül Koç
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
University Students ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Health Literacy Level ◽  
Literacy Level

Factors Associated with Source Selection for Health Information Seeking among University Students: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tesfahun Melese Yilma ◽  
Anushia Inthiran ◽  
Daniel Reidpath ◽  
Sylvester Olubolu Orimaye
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
University Students ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Perceived Health Status ◽  
Perceived Severity ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Health Literacy Level ◽  
Literacy Level

BACKGROUND Knowledge and skill gaps exist among people from developing and developed countries when locating and using health information. These gaps can be minimized through improved awareness of health information sources. OBJECTIVE This research study aims to assess the preferred source of health information used by university students from developing countries. METHODS A web-based survey is used as a data collection tool to gather information from a sample of 901 undergraduate students. Binary logistic regression analysis method is used to identify factors associated with sources of health information. RESULTS Results reveal that the Internet (82.8%) and television/radio (41.4%) are the primary source of health information among students from Malaysia and Ethiopia, respectively. Higher health literacy level (p = 0.04), higher perceived severity of health problems (p-value = 0.04), and poor perceived health status (p = 0.03) have a positive effect on the choice of the Internet as a primary source of health information. In addition, limited health literacy level (p = 0.03) contributed to the use of television/radio as the primary source of health information. CONCLUSIONS The Internet and television or radio are used as the primary source of health information by university students. Health literacy, perceived severity of health problems, and perceived health status are found to affect the use of the Internet as a primary source of health information. Results could help health promoters to pass their health messages via the source that university students prefer.

scholarly journals Malaysian Health Literacy: Scorecard Performance from a National Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5813
Author(s):  
Norrafizah Jaafar ◽  
Komathi Perialathan ◽  
Manimaran Krishnan ◽  
Nurashma Juatan ◽  
Masitah Ahmad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Limited Health Literacy ◽  
Health Literacy Level ◽  
Prevention And Health Promotion ◽  
Literacy Level ◽  
Limited Health

Health literacy is an indicator of a society’s ability to make better health judgements for themselves and the people around them. This study investigated the prevalence of health literacy among Malaysian adults and provided an overall picture of the society’s current health literacy status, which has not been previously assessed. The study also highlighted socio-demographic markers of communities with limited health literacy that may warrant future intervention. A population-based self-administered survey using the Health Literacy Survey Malaysian Questionnaire18 (HLS-M-Q18) instrument was conducted as part of the National Health Morbidity Survey 2019 in Malaysia. The nationwide survey utilized a two-staged stratified random sampling method. A sample of 9478 individuals aged 18 and above, drawn from the living quarter list, participated in the study. The health literacy score was divided into three levels; limited, sufficient, and excellent. Findings showed a majority of the Malaysian population had a sufficient health literacy level in all three domains—healthcare, diseases prevention and health promotion (49.1%, 44.2%, and 47.5%, respectively)—albeit leaning towards the lower end of the category with an average score of 35.5. The limited health literacy groups were prevalent among respondents with older age (68%), lower education level (64.8%), and lower household income (49.5%). The overall health literacy status for Malaysia was categorized at a lower sufficiency level. Future health literacy improvements should focus on communities with a limited health literacy level to improve the overall score.

scholarly journals Communicative health literacy in patients with non-communicable diseases in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Desalew Tilahun ◽  
Abebe Abera ◽  
Gugsa Nemera
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Source Population ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Health Literacy Level ◽  
Literacy Level

Abstract Background Health literacy plays a prominent role in empowering individuals for prevention as well as management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, there is paucity of information on the health literacy of patients with non-communicable diseases in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess communicative health literacy and associated factors in patients with NCDs on follow-up at Jimma Medical Center (JMC), Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from 4 May 2020 to 4 July 2020 with 408 randomly selected adult patients, attending outpatient department of JMC in Ethiopia. The final sample size was obtained by using single population proportion formula. All patients with NCDs who were on follow-up at chronic illness clinic, JMC, were used as a source population. All eligible patients with NCDs who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in this study. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit study participants. Data were collected through structured interviewer administered questionnaires on the six of nine health literacy domains using Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) containing 30 items, socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, disease-related factors, and health information sources. Multivariable logistic regression was executed to determine the associations. Result Descriptive analysis shows more than half of the respondents in four of the six health literacy domains had high communicative health literacy level (CHLL). The proportion of people with high CHLL across each of the domains was as follows: health care provider support (56.1%), social support for health (53.7%), active engagement with a healthcare provider (56.1%), and navigating healthcare system (53.4%). We found educational status was significantly associated with five of six health literacy domains whereas number of sources was associated with four of six health literacy domains. Conclusion The overall findings of the current study indicate that health literacy levels vary according to socio-demographic and disease characteristics of patients. Thus, healthcare professionals should assess patients’ health literacy level and tailor information and support to the health literacy skills and personal context of their patients.

scholarly journals Instructions for masking the taste of medication for children

2016 ◽  
Vol 150 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Régis Vaillancourt ◽  
Yen Truong ◽  
Shazya Karmali ◽  
Amanda Kraft ◽  
Selina Manji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
School Health ◽  
Clinical Impact ◽  
Pediatric Hospital ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
Health Literacy Level ◽  
Literacy Level

Background: Medications that taste unpleasant can be a struggle to administer to children, most often resulting in low adherence rates. Pictograms can be useful tools to improve adherence by conveying information to patients in a way that they will understand. Methods: One-on-one structured interviews were conducted with parents/guardians and with children between the ages of 9 and 17 years at a pediatric hospital. The questionnaire evaluated the comprehension of 12 pictogram sets that described how to mask the taste of medications for children. Pictograms understood by >85% of participants were considered validated. Short-term recall was assessed by asking participants to recall the meaning of each pictogram set. Results: There were 51 participants in the study—26 (51%) were children aged 9 to 17 years and 25 (49%) were parents or guardians. Most children (54%) had health literacy levels of grade 10 or higher. Most parents and guardians (92%) had at least a high school health literacy level. Six of the 12 pictogram sets (50%) were validated. Eleven of 12 pictogram sets (92%) had a median translucency score greater than 5. All 12 pictogram sets (100%) were correctly identified at short-term recall and were therefore validated. Conclusion: The addition of validated illustrations to pharmaceutical labels can be useful to instruct on how to mask the taste of medication in certain populations. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical impact of providing illustrated information to populations with low health literacy.

scholarly journals Using Teach-Back to Understand Participant Behavioral Self-Monitoring Skills Across Health Literacy Level and Behavioral Condition

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-26.e1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Porter ◽  
Yvonnes Chen ◽  
Paul Estabrooks ◽  
Lauren Noel ◽  
Angela Bailey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Health Literacy Level ◽  
Literacy Level

scholarly journals 4020 Impact of Patients’ Health Literacy Level on Patients’ Health Outcomes

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
pp. 137-137
Author(s):  
Dae Hyun Kim ◽  
Larry Hearld ◽  
William Opoku-Aygeman
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Surgical Department ◽  
Lengths Of Stay ◽  
Health Literacy Level ◽  
Literacy Level ◽  
The Impact

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between gastro-intestinal (GI) patients’ health literacy levels and patients’ health outcomes (length of stay, readmission, complication). METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A research team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) ‘s Gastro-Intestinal (GI) surgical department collected inpatient GI patients’ health literacy data by distributing the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BRIEF) survey to patients are about to be discharged. Patients’ health outcomes data were gathered through Business Objects, an online platform that allows physicians and researchers to access and gather patients’ medical information with an IRB approval. After accounting for necessary control variables, logistic regression and multiple linear regression models will be run to assess whether there is a significant relationship between patients’ health literacy levels and patients’ health outcomes. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Three specific hypotheses are proposed in this study. H1: GI patients’ health literacy levels will be negatively associated with their lengths of stay H2: GI patients’ health literacy levels will be negatively associated with their readmission status to the hospital H3: GI patients’ health literacy levels will be negatively associated with their complication status to the hospital DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This study allows us to further our understanding of patients’ health literacy level and its’ relationship with important health outcomes. By looking at a variety of diverse health outcomes, the impact of a patients’ health literacy level on that patients’ health outcomes will be observed more clearly.

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