ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Original Research

Authors

Sajadi   F.S. (1)
Sajadi   H.S. (2)
Panahi   R. (*3)






(*3) Health Education & Promotion Department, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
(1) Statistics Department, Sciences Faculty, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
(2) National Institute for Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Tarbiat Modares University, Nasr Bridge, Jalal-Al-Ahmad Highway, Tehran, Iran
Phone:
Fax:
peimanpanahi63@yahoo.com

Article History

Received:   May  20, 2019
Accepted:   August 6, 2019
ePublished:   March 18, 2020

ABSTRACT

Aims Health literacy plays a central role in determining health inequalities in society. Considering the important role of university students in the formulation and implementation of future policies and plans of the country, this study aimed to determine the level of health literacy of university students and identify the factors affecting it.
Materials & Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study. The study population included 380 university students who were studying at Isfahan University in the second semester of the academic year 2018-2019. They were entered into the study by stratified and available sampling method. The data gathering tool was the health literacy for Iranian adult’s questionnaire (HELIA). Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 23 software and descriptive statistics and logistic regression.
Findings The mean score of health literacy was 77.96±16.96 of 100. 2.4% of students had inadequate health literacy, 32.3% had not so adequate health literacy, 46.4% had adequate health literacy and 18.9% had excellent health literacy. Health literacy was significantly associated with the variables of the educational level and the faculty of studying the students (p<0.05).
Conclusion The health literacy of the students participating in the study is at a desirable level. Also, health literacy is associated with the variables of the educational level and the faculty of studying the students and graduate students and Basic science students have higher levels of health literacy.

Keywords: Health Literacy , University, Students, Health Promotion ,

CITATION LINKS

[1] Tavousi M, Ebadi M, Azin SA, Shakerinejad G, Hashemi A, Fattahi E, Montazeri A. Defeinitions of health literacy: a review of the literature. Payesh. 2014;13(1):119-24. [Persian]
[2]Ghanbari S, Majlesi F, Ghaffari M, Mahmoodi Majdabadi M. Evaluation of health literacy of pregnant women in urban health centers of Shahid Beheshti Medical University. Daneshvar Med. 2012;19(6):1-12. [Persian]
[3]Wharf Higgins J, Begoray D, Mac Donald MA. A social ecological conceptual framework for understanding adolescent health literacy in the health education classroom. Am J Community Psychol. 2009;44(3-4):350-62.
[4]Nutbeam D, Kickbusch I. Advancing health literacy: a global challenge for the 21st century. Health Promot Int. 2000;15(3):183-4.
[5]Peerson A, Saunders MH. Men's health literacy in Australia: in search of a gender lens. Int J Mens Health. 2011;10(2):111-35.
[6] Kickbusch IS. Health literacy: addressing the health and education divide. Health Promot Int. 2001;16(3):289-97.
[7]Sørensen K, Van den Broucke S, Fullam J, Doyle G, Pelikan J, Slonska Z, et al. Health literacy and public health: a systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health. 2012;12:80.
[8] 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.
[9]Panahi R, Kazemi SS, Karami Juyani A, Pishvaei M. Health literacy and self-care in patients. J Res Health. 2018;8(5):392-3.
[10] Panahi R, Ramezankhani A, Tavousi M. Health literacy and preventive behaviors. J Res Health. 2018;8(2):93-4.
[11] 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.
[12]Tavousi M, Haeri Mehrizi AA, Rafieifar S, Soleimanian A, Sarbandi F, Ardestani M, et al. Health literacy in Iran: findings from a national study. Payesh. 2016;15(1):95-102. [Persian]
[13] Fransen MP, Van Schaik TM, Twickler TB, Essink-Bot ML. Applicability of internationally available health literacy measures in the Netherlands. J Health Commun. 2011;16(Supple 3):134-49.
[14] Chisolm DJ, Buchanan L. Measuring adolescent functional health literacy: A pilot validation of the test of functional health literacy in adults. J Adolesc Health. 2007;41(3):312-4.
[15]Azimi S, Ramezankhani A, Rakhshani F, Ghaffari M, Ghanbari S. Comparison of health literacy between medical and non-medical students in Shahid Beheshti Universities in the academic year 2013-2014. Pejouhandeh. 2015;20(2):78-85. [Persian]
[16] Panahi R, Ramezankhani A, Tavousi M, Osmani F, Ghazanfari E, Niknami S. Evaluation of health literacy and its influencing factors on dormitory students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. J Educ Community Health. 2016;3(3):30-6. [Persian]
[17]Zhang Q, Cui G. Investigation and analysis of Xi’an college students’ health literacy. In: Proceedings 2011 International Conference on Human Health and Biomedical Engineering; 2011 Aug 19-22; Jilin, China. IEEE; 2011.
[18] Vozikis A, Drivas K, Milioris K. Health literacy among university students in Greece: determinants and association with self-perceived health, health behaviours and health risks. Arch Public Health. 2014;72(1):15.
[19]Montazeri A, Tavousi M, Rakhshani F, Azin SA, Jahangiri K, Ebadi M, et al. Health literacy for Iranian adults (HELIA): development and psychometric Properties. Payesh. 2014;13(5):589-99. [Persian]
[20]Panahi R, Ramezankhani A, Tavousi M, Haeri Mehrizi AA, Niknami S. The psychometric properties of health literacy for Iranian adults (HELIA) in medical sciences students. J Res Health. 2020;10(1):53-8. [Persian]
[21]Ahmadi FZ, Mehr-Mohammadi M, Talaei E, Fardanesh H, Paknahad M, Taghizadeh S, et al. Health literacy among students of Farhangian University. Payesh. 2018;17(3):257-66. [Persian]
[22] Molakhalili H, Mojiri S, Ashrafi-Rizi H, Bahrami S, Faghihi Habibabadi H. Health literacy and happiness among students of Isfahan University and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. J Manage Med Inform Sch. 2017;3(2):210-8. [Persian]
[23] Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE, Halpern DJ, Viera A, Crotty K, et al. Health literacy interventions and outcomes: an updated systematic review. Evid Rep Technol Assess (Full Rep). 2011;(199):1-941.
[24]Mohammadi Farah S, Saati Asr MH, Kaviani Manesh A, Barati M, Afshari M, Mohammadi Y. 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):11-17. [Persian]
[25]Ziapoor A, Kianipoor N. Predicting health literacy of students in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2016: The role of demographic variables. J Health Literacy. 2016;1(3):182-90. [Persian]
[26]Javadzadeh SH, Sharifirad GR, Reisi M, Tavassoli E, Rajati F. Health literacy among adults of Isfahan, Iran. J Health Syst Res. 2013;9(5):540-9. [Persian]
[27]Mahdavi ZH, Ramezankhani A, Ghanbari S, Khodakarim L. Relationship between health literacy and female cancers preventive behaviors. Payesh. 2017;16(5):613-25. [Persian]
[28]Rezaei Esfahrood Z, Haerian Ardekani A, Rahmanian M, Ghaffari Targhi M. A survey on health literacy of referred diabetic patients to Yazd diabetes research center. Toloo-e Behdasht. 2016;15(3):176-86. [Persian]