@2024 Afarand., IRAN
ISSN: 2383-2150 Journal of Education and Community Health 2018;5(1):19-26
ISSN: 2383-2150 Journal of Education and Community Health 2018;5(1):19-26
Health Literacy of Employees of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences and Related Demographic Factors
ARTICLE INFO
Article Type
Original ResearchAuthors
Khoshravesh Sahar (1,2)Moeini Babak (3,*)
Rezapur-Shahkolai Frouzan (2,4)
Taheri-Kharameh Zahra (2,5)
Bandehelahi Khadijeh (1)
(1) Student Research Committee, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
(1,2) Department of Public Health, School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
(2,4) Research Center for Health Sciences, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
(2,5) Department of Operating Room, School of Paramedical Sciences, Qom University of medical sciences, Qom, Iran
(3,*) Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
Correspondence
Address: Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IranPhone: -
Fax: -
babak_moeini@umsha.ac.ir
Article History
Received: November 13, 2017Accepted: January 13, 2018
ePublished: June 1, 2018
ABSTRACT
Aims
One of the important determinants of health in every society is health literacy. The present study was conducted to determine health literacy status of employees of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences and related factors.
Materials & Methods This cross-sectional study was performed in 2016 among 188 employees in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The participants were selected through the stratified sampling method. The data collection instrument was Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA), which was completed through self-report. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, one-way ANOVA, and linear regression in SPSS version 22.
Findings Most of the participants )74.5%( received health-related information through the Internet. Among the five dimensions of health literacy, the comprehension dimension of health information was more desirable. The highest correlation coefficient between health literacy dimensions was related to the relationship between comprehension and decision-making (r=0.582, P<0.01). On average, health literacy of employees was borderline, and age, marital status, educational status, and sources of information were predictors of health literacy (P<0.05).
Conclusion Overall, the results of the study showed that the average health literacy of employees was borderline. It seems that interventions based on demographic characteristics are required to improve the health literacy status of employees.
Materials & Methods This cross-sectional study was performed in 2016 among 188 employees in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The participants were selected through the stratified sampling method. The data collection instrument was Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA), which was completed through self-report. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, one-way ANOVA, and linear regression in SPSS version 22.
Findings Most of the participants )74.5%( received health-related information through the Internet. Among the five dimensions of health literacy, the comprehension dimension of health information was more desirable. The highest correlation coefficient between health literacy dimensions was related to the relationship between comprehension and decision-making (r=0.582, P<0.01). On average, health literacy of employees was borderline, and age, marital status, educational status, and sources of information were predictors of health literacy (P<0.05).
Conclusion Overall, the results of the study showed that the average health literacy of employees was borderline. It seems that interventions based on demographic characteristics are required to improve the health literacy status of employees.
CITATION LINKS
[1]Naderi M, Rajati F, Yusefi H, Tajmiri M, Mohebi S. Health literacy among adults of Isfahan, Iran. J Health Syst Res. 2013;9(5):473-83.
[2]World Health Organization. Division of health promotion, education, and communication. Health promotion glossary. Available at: URL: http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/64546; 1998.
[3]Nutbeam D. Health promotion glossary. Health Promot. 1998;1(1):113-27. PMID: 10318625
[4]Joint Committee on National Health Education Standards. National health education standards: achieving health literacy. Washington (DC): American Cancer Society; 1997.
[5]Banihashemi SA, Amirkhani MA. Health literacy and the influencing factors: a study in five provinces of Iran. Strid Dev Med Educ. 2007;4(1):1-9. [Persian]
[6]Baker DW, Gazmararian JA, Williams MV, Scott T, Parker RM, Green D, et al. Functional health literacy and the risk of hospital admission among Medicare managed care enrollees. Am J Public Health. 2002;92(8):1278-83. PMID: 12144984
[7]Scott TL, Gazmararian JA, Williams MV, Baker DW. Health literacy and preventive health care use among Medicare enrollees in a managed care organization. Med Care. 2002;40(5):395-404. PMID: 11961474
[8]Howard DH, Sentell T, Gazmararian JA. Impact of health literacy on socioeconomic and racial differences in health in an elderly population. J Gen Intern Med. 2006;21(8):857-61. PMID: 16881947 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00530.x
[9]Ramezankhani A, Ghafari M, Rakhshani F, Ghanbari S, Azimi S. Comparison of health literacy between medical and non-medical students in Shahid Beheshti Universities in the academic year 92-93. Pajoohandeh J. 2015;20(2):78-85. [Persian]
[10]Haghdoost AA, Rakhshani F, Aarabi M, Montazeri A, Tavousi M, Solimanian A, et al. Iranian health literacy questionnaire (IHLQ): an instrument for measuring health literacy in Iran. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2015;17(6):e25831. PMID: 22347608
[11]Ashari FE, Pirdehghan A, Rajabi F, Sayarifard A, Ghadirian L, Rostami N, et al. The study of health literacy of staff about risk factors of chronic diseases in 2014. Sci J Hamadan Univ Med Sci. 2015;22(3):248-54.
[12]Peyman N, Samiee Roudi K. Investigating the status of health literacy among health providers of rural area. J Health Literacy. 2016;1(1):46-52. [Persian]
[13]Afshari M, Khazaei S, Bahrami M, Merati H. Investigating adult health literacy in Tuyserkan city. J Educ Community Health. 2014;1(2):48-55. [Persain] DOI: 10.20286/jech-010248
[14]Saranjit S, Lennard L. Health literacy: being able to make the most of health. London: National Consumer Council; 2004.
[15]Diviani N, Camerini AL, Reinholz D, Galfetti A, Schulz PJ. Health literacy, health empowerment and health information search in the field of MMR vaccination: a crosssectional study protocol. BMJ Open. 2012;2(6):e002162. PMID: 23166139 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002162
[16]Hou SI. Health education theoretical concepts, effective strategies and core competencies. Health Promot Pract. 2014;15(5):619-21. DOI: 10.1177/1524839914538045
[17]Richter J, Malkiewicz J, Shaw D. Health promotion behaviors in nursing students. J Nurs Educ. 1987;26(9):367-71. PMID: 2830376
[18]Taymoori P, Moeini B, Lubans D, Bharami M. Development and psychometric testing of the Adolescent Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaire. J Educ Health Promot. 2012;1(1):20. PMID: 23555123 DOI: 10.4103/2277-9531.99221
[19]Afshari MA, Teimori GH, Kohnavard B, Pour HE, Kangavari M. Workers' health literacy in a car spare parts factory: A cross-sectional study. Iran Occupat Health. 2017;14(2):147-55. [Persian]
[20]Tavousi M, Haeri MA, Rafiefar S, Solimanian A, Sarbandi F, Ardestani M, et al. Health literacy in Iran: findings from a national study. Payesh. 2016;1(15):95-102. [Persian]
[21]Ghanbari A, Rahmatpour P, Khalili M, Barari F. The association between health literacy and health status among the staff of Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Health Syst Res. 2016;12(3):381-7. [Persain]
[22]Damman OC, van der Beek AJ, Timmermans DR. Workers' knowledge and beliefs about cardiometabolic health risk. J Occup Environ Med. 2014;56(1):92-100. PMID: 24351894 DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000041
[23]Reisi M, Mostafavi F, Javadzade H, Mahaki B, Tavassoli E, Sharifirad G. Impact of health literacy, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations on adherence to self-care behaviors in Iranians with type 2 diabetes. Oman Med J. 2016;31(1):52-9. PMID: 26813680 DOI: 10.5001/omj.2016.10
[24]Ghanbari S, Majlessi F, Ghaffari M, Mahmoodi Majdabadi M. Evaluation of health literacy of pregnant women in urban health centers of Shahid Beheshti Medical University Daneshvar Medicine. Daneshvar. 2012;19(97):1-12. [Persian]
[25]Carthery Goulart MT, Anghinah R, Areza-Fegyveres R, Bahia VS BS, Damin A, et al. Performance of a Brazilian population on the test of functional health literacy in adults. Rev Saude Publica. 2009;43(4):631-8. PMID: 19488667
[26]Downey LV, Zun LS. Assessing adult health literacy in urban healthcare settings. J Natl Med Assoc. 2008;100(11):1304-8. PMID: 19024227
[27]Baker DW, Wolf MS, Feinglass J, Thompson JA, Gazmararian J, Huang J. Health literacy and mortality among elderly persons. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(14):1503-9. PMID: 17646604 DOI: 10.1001/archinte.167.14.1503
[28]Von Wagner C, Knight K, Steptoe A, Wardle J. Functional health literacy and healthpromoting behaviour in a national sample of British adults. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2007;61(12):1086-90. PMID: 18000132 DOI: 10.1136/jech.2006.053967
[29]Paasche-Orlow MK, Parker RM, Gazmararian JA, Nielsen-Bohlman LT, Rudd RR. The prevalence of limited health literacy. J Gen Intern Med. 2005;20(2):175-84. PMID: 15836552 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.40245.x
[30]Chulz PJ, Nakamoto K. Health literacy and patient empowerment in health communication: the importance of separating conjoined twins. Patient Educ Couns. 2013;90(1):4-11. PMID: 23063359 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2012.09.006
[2]World Health Organization. Division of health promotion, education, and communication. Health promotion glossary. Available at: URL: http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/64546; 1998.
[3]Nutbeam D. Health promotion glossary. Health Promot. 1998;1(1):113-27. PMID: 10318625
[4]Joint Committee on National Health Education Standards. National health education standards: achieving health literacy. Washington (DC): American Cancer Society; 1997.
[5]Banihashemi SA, Amirkhani MA. Health literacy and the influencing factors: a study in five provinces of Iran. Strid Dev Med Educ. 2007;4(1):1-9. [Persian]
[6]Baker DW, Gazmararian JA, Williams MV, Scott T, Parker RM, Green D, et al. Functional health literacy and the risk of hospital admission among Medicare managed care enrollees. Am J Public Health. 2002;92(8):1278-83. PMID: 12144984
[7]Scott TL, Gazmararian JA, Williams MV, Baker DW. Health literacy and preventive health care use among Medicare enrollees in a managed care organization. Med Care. 2002;40(5):395-404. PMID: 11961474
[8]Howard DH, Sentell T, Gazmararian JA. Impact of health literacy on socioeconomic and racial differences in health in an elderly population. J Gen Intern Med. 2006;21(8):857-61. PMID: 16881947 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00530.x
[9]Ramezankhani A, Ghafari M, Rakhshani F, Ghanbari S, Azimi S. Comparison of health literacy between medical and non-medical students in Shahid Beheshti Universities in the academic year 92-93. Pajoohandeh J. 2015;20(2):78-85. [Persian]
[10]Haghdoost AA, Rakhshani F, Aarabi M, Montazeri A, Tavousi M, Solimanian A, et al. Iranian health literacy questionnaire (IHLQ): an instrument for measuring health literacy in Iran. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2015;17(6):e25831. PMID: 22347608
[11]Ashari FE, Pirdehghan A, Rajabi F, Sayarifard A, Ghadirian L, Rostami N, et al. The study of health literacy of staff about risk factors of chronic diseases in 2014. Sci J Hamadan Univ Med Sci. 2015;22(3):248-54.
[12]Peyman N, Samiee Roudi K. Investigating the status of health literacy among health providers of rural area. J Health Literacy. 2016;1(1):46-52. [Persian]
[13]Afshari M, Khazaei S, Bahrami M, Merati H. Investigating adult health literacy in Tuyserkan city. J Educ Community Health. 2014;1(2):48-55. [Persain] DOI: 10.20286/jech-010248
[14]Saranjit S, Lennard L. Health literacy: being able to make the most of health. London: National Consumer Council; 2004.
[15]Diviani N, Camerini AL, Reinholz D, Galfetti A, Schulz PJ. Health literacy, health empowerment and health information search in the field of MMR vaccination: a crosssectional study protocol. BMJ Open. 2012;2(6):e002162. PMID: 23166139 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002162
[16]Hou SI. Health education theoretical concepts, effective strategies and core competencies. Health Promot Pract. 2014;15(5):619-21. DOI: 10.1177/1524839914538045
[17]Richter J, Malkiewicz J, Shaw D. Health promotion behaviors in nursing students. J Nurs Educ. 1987;26(9):367-71. PMID: 2830376
[18]Taymoori P, Moeini B, Lubans D, Bharami M. Development and psychometric testing of the Adolescent Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaire. J Educ Health Promot. 2012;1(1):20. PMID: 23555123 DOI: 10.4103/2277-9531.99221
[19]Afshari MA, Teimori GH, Kohnavard B, Pour HE, Kangavari M. Workers' health literacy in a car spare parts factory: A cross-sectional study. Iran Occupat Health. 2017;14(2):147-55. [Persian]
[20]Tavousi M, Haeri MA, Rafiefar S, Solimanian A, Sarbandi F, Ardestani M, et al. Health literacy in Iran: findings from a national study. Payesh. 2016;1(15):95-102. [Persian]
[21]Ghanbari A, Rahmatpour P, Khalili M, Barari F. The association between health literacy and health status among the staff of Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Health Syst Res. 2016;12(3):381-7. [Persain]
[22]Damman OC, van der Beek AJ, Timmermans DR. Workers' knowledge and beliefs about cardiometabolic health risk. J Occup Environ Med. 2014;56(1):92-100. PMID: 24351894 DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000041
[23]Reisi M, Mostafavi F, Javadzade H, Mahaki B, Tavassoli E, Sharifirad G. Impact of health literacy, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations on adherence to self-care behaviors in Iranians with type 2 diabetes. Oman Med J. 2016;31(1):52-9. PMID: 26813680 DOI: 10.5001/omj.2016.10
[24]Ghanbari S, Majlessi F, Ghaffari M, Mahmoodi Majdabadi M. Evaluation of health literacy of pregnant women in urban health centers of Shahid Beheshti Medical University Daneshvar Medicine. Daneshvar. 2012;19(97):1-12. [Persian]
[25]Carthery Goulart MT, Anghinah R, Areza-Fegyveres R, Bahia VS BS, Damin A, et al. Performance of a Brazilian population on the test of functional health literacy in adults. Rev Saude Publica. 2009;43(4):631-8. PMID: 19488667
[26]Downey LV, Zun LS. Assessing adult health literacy in urban healthcare settings. J Natl Med Assoc. 2008;100(11):1304-8. PMID: 19024227
[27]Baker DW, Wolf MS, Feinglass J, Thompson JA, Gazmararian J, Huang J. Health literacy and mortality among elderly persons. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(14):1503-9. PMID: 17646604 DOI: 10.1001/archinte.167.14.1503
[28]Von Wagner C, Knight K, Steptoe A, Wardle J. Functional health literacy and healthpromoting behaviour in a national sample of British adults. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2007;61(12):1086-90. PMID: 18000132 DOI: 10.1136/jech.2006.053967
[29]Paasche-Orlow MK, Parker RM, Gazmararian JA, Nielsen-Bohlman LT, Rudd RR. The prevalence of limited health literacy. J Gen Intern Med. 2005;20(2):175-84. PMID: 15836552 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.40245.x
[30]Chulz PJ, Nakamoto K. Health literacy and patient empowerment in health communication: the importance of separating conjoined twins. Patient Educ Couns. 2013;90(1):4-11. PMID: 23063359 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2012.09.006