@2024 Afarand., IRAN
ISSN: 2383-2150 Journal of Education and Community Health 2018;5(1):42-48
ISSN: 2383-2150 Journal of Education and Community Health 2018;5(1):42-48
Health Literacy among Women Referring to Healthcare Centers of Zanjan City, Iran: A Cross-sectional Study
ARTICLE INFO
Article Type
Original ResearchAuthors
Ghaffari Mohtasham (1)Hatami Hossein (1)
Rakhshanderou Sakineh (1)
Shoghli Alireza (2)
Heidari Ahmad (3,*)
(1) Department of Public Health, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
(2) Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
(3,*) Zanjan Health Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
Correspondence
Address: Zanjan Health Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, IranPhone: -
Fax: -
aheidari1392@yahoo.com
Article History
Received: September 19, 2017Accepted: March 20, 2018
ePublished: June 1, 2018
ABSTRACT
Aims
Health literacy refers to a collection of skills, which enable the individuals to read, hear, analyze, and decide on the health-related issues. The possession of these skills by women have a significant effect on the improvement of health and happiness in their family and community. Regarding this, the aim of the present study was to determine health literacy level among the women referring to healthcare centers in Zanjan, Iran.
Materials & Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 323 women referring to the urban healthcare centers of Zanjan in 2016. The study population was selected using stratified random sampling technique. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults. The data were analyzed in SPSS (version 21) using Pearson correlation test, t-test, and one-way ANOVA.
Findings The mean health literacy among the participants was obtained as 71.56±17.8. According to the results, 22.6%, 22.3%, and 50.1% of the subjects had inadequate, borderline, and adequate health literacy, respectively. Furthermore, health literacy showed a significant relationship with education level (P<0.001) and occupational status (P=0.44).
Conclusion As the findings indicated, about half of the women had no favorable level of health literacy. Considering the critical role of women in preserving and promoting the health of their family and community, it is necessary to consider educational plan in order to improve the health literacy among this important group.
Materials & Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 323 women referring to the urban healthcare centers of Zanjan in 2016. The study population was selected using stratified random sampling technique. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults. The data were analyzed in SPSS (version 21) using Pearson correlation test, t-test, and one-way ANOVA.
Findings The mean health literacy among the participants was obtained as 71.56±17.8. According to the results, 22.6%, 22.3%, and 50.1% of the subjects had inadequate, borderline, and adequate health literacy, respectively. Furthermore, health literacy showed a significant relationship with education level (P<0.001) and occupational status (P=0.44).
Conclusion As the findings indicated, about half of the women had no favorable level of health literacy. Considering the critical role of women in preserving and promoting the health of their family and community, it is necessary to consider educational plan in order to improve the health literacy among this important group.
CITATION LINKS
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[13]Tavousi M, Haeri MA, Rafiefar S, Soleimanian A, Sarbandi F, Ardestani M, et al. Health literacy in Iran: findings from a national study. Payesh. 2015;15(1):95-102. [Persian]
[14]Mohammadi Farah S, Asr S, Hasan M, Kavivani Manesh A, Barati M, Afshari M, et al. health literacy level and its related factors among college students of Hamadan university of medical sciences, Hamadan, Iran. J Educ Community Health. 2017;4(2):11-7. [Persian]
[15]Kohan SS, Ghasemi S, Dodangeh M. Association between maternal health literacy and prenatal care and pregnancy outcome. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2007;12(4):146-52.
[16]von Wagner C, Knight K, Steptoe A, Wardle J. Functional health literacy and health-promoting 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
[17]Khosravi A, Ahmadzadeh K. Investigating health literacy Level of patients referred to Bushehr hospitals and recognizing its effective factors. ISMJ. 2016;18(6):1245-53. DOI: 10.7508/ismj.1394.06.014 [Persian]
[18]Dadipoor S, Ramezankhani A, Aghamolaei T, Rakhshani F, Safari-Moradabadi A. Evaluation of health literacy in the Iranian population. Health Scope. 2018;7(3):e62212.
[19]Heijmans M, Waverijn G, Rademakers J, van der Vaart R, Rijken M. Functional, communicative and critical health literacy of chronic disease patients and their importance for self-management. Patient Educ Couns. 2015;98(1):41-8. PMID: 25455794 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2014.10.006
[20]Sarkar M, Asti L, Nacion KM, Chisolm DJ. The role of health literacy in predicting multiple healthcare outcomes among hispanics in a nationally representative sample: a comparative analysis by English proficiency levels. J Immigr Minor Health. 20151;8(3):608-15. PMID: 25894535 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-015-0211-3
[21]Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE, Halpern DJ, Crotty K, et al. Health literacy interventions and outcomes an updated systematic review. Evid Rep Technol Assess. 2011;199:1-941. PMID: 23126607
[22]Carthery-Goulart MT, Anghinah R, Areza-Fegyveres R, Bahia VS, Brucki SM, 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
[2]Ozdemir H, Alper Z, Unchu Y, Bilgel N. Health literacy among adults: a study from Turkey. Health Educ Res. 2010;25(3):464-77. PMID: 20080808 DOI: 10.1093/her/cyp068
[3]World Health Organization. Commision on social determinants of health closing the gapin a generation health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2008.
[4]Javadzade H, Sharifirad G, Reisi M, Tavassoli E, Rajati F. Health literacy among adults of Isfahan, Iran. J Health Syst Res. 2013;9(5):540-9. [Persian]
[5]Davis TC, Wolf MS. Health literacy: implications for family medicine. Fam Med. 2004;36(8):595-8. PMID: 15343422
[6]Downey LV, Zun LS. Assessing adult health literacy in urban healthcare settings. J Natl Med Assoc. 2008;100(11):1304-8. PMID: 19024227
[7]Ferguson B. Health literacy and health disparities: the role they play in maternal and child health. Nurs Womens Health. 2008;12(4):286-98. PMID: 18715376 DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-486X.2008.00343.x
[8]Paasche-Orlow MK, Wolf MS. Promoting health literacy research to reduce health disparities. J Health Commun. 2010;15(Suppl 2):34-41. PMID: 20845191 DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2010.499994
[9]Banihashemi SA, Amirkhani MA. Health literacy and the influencing factors: a study in five provinces of Iran. J Strid DevMed Educ. 2012;4(1):1-9. [Persian]
[10]Tol A, Pourreza A, Tavasoli E, Rahimi Foroshani A. Determination of knowledge and health literacy among women with type 2 diabetes in teaching hospitals of TUMS. J Hosp. 2012;11(3):45-52. [Persian]
[11]Ghanbari S, Majlessi F, Ghaffari M, Mahmoodi MM. Evaluation of health literacy of pregnant women in urban health centers of Shahid Beheshti Medical University. Daneshvar. 2012;19(97):1-12. [Persian]
[12]Afshari M, Khazaei S, Bahrami M, Merati H. Investigating adult health literacy in Tuyserkan city. J Educ Community Health. 2014;1(2):48-55. DOI: 10.20286/jech-010248 [Persian]
[13]Tavousi M, Haeri MA, Rafiefar S, Soleimanian A, Sarbandi F, Ardestani M, et al. Health literacy in Iran: findings from a national study. Payesh. 2015;15(1):95-102. [Persian]
[14]Mohammadi Farah S, Asr S, Hasan M, Kavivani Manesh A, Barati M, Afshari M, et al. health literacy level and its related factors among college students of Hamadan university of medical sciences, Hamadan, Iran. J Educ Community Health. 2017;4(2):11-7. [Persian]
[15]Kohan SS, Ghasemi S, Dodangeh M. Association between maternal health literacy and prenatal care and pregnancy outcome. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2007;12(4):146-52.
[16]von Wagner C, Knight K, Steptoe A, Wardle J. Functional health literacy and health-promoting 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
[17]Khosravi A, Ahmadzadeh K. Investigating health literacy Level of patients referred to Bushehr hospitals and recognizing its effective factors. ISMJ. 2016;18(6):1245-53. DOI: 10.7508/ismj.1394.06.014 [Persian]
[18]Dadipoor S, Ramezankhani A, Aghamolaei T, Rakhshani F, Safari-Moradabadi A. Evaluation of health literacy in the Iranian population. Health Scope. 2018;7(3):e62212.
[19]Heijmans M, Waverijn G, Rademakers J, van der Vaart R, Rijken M. Functional, communicative and critical health literacy of chronic disease patients and their importance for self-management. Patient Educ Couns. 2015;98(1):41-8. PMID: 25455794 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2014.10.006
[20]Sarkar M, Asti L, Nacion KM, Chisolm DJ. The role of health literacy in predicting multiple healthcare outcomes among hispanics in a nationally representative sample: a comparative analysis by English proficiency levels. J Immigr Minor Health. 20151;8(3):608-15. PMID: 25894535 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-015-0211-3
[21]Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE, Halpern DJ, Crotty K, et al. Health literacy interventions and outcomes an updated systematic review. Evid Rep Technol Assess. 2011;199:1-941. PMID: 23126607
[22]Carthery-Goulart MT, Anghinah R, Areza-Fegyveres R, Bahia VS, Brucki SM, 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