@2024 Afarand., IRAN
ISSN: 2383-2150 Journal of Education and Community Health 2014;1(2):48-55
ISSN: 2383-2150 Journal of Education and Community Health 2014;1(2):48-55
Investigating Adult Health Literacy in Tuyserkan City
ARTICLE INFO
Article Type
Original ResearchAuthors
Afshari M. (1*)Khazaei S. (2)
Bahrami M. (3)
Merati H. (4)
(1*) Department of Public Health, School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
(2) Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
(3) Health Center of Tuyserkan, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
(4) Health Center of Tuyserkan, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
Correspondence
Article History
Received: September 17, 2014Accepted: December 10, 2014
ePublished: November 30, 2014
ABSTRACT
Aims
Health literacy is the capacity of individuals to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make healthy decisions. Therefore, this study was designed to determine health literacy of adults Tuyserkan district.
Materials & Methods This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was performed on 285 subjects aged 20-60 years attending Tuyserkan health centers through convenience sampling method in 2014. Iranian health literacy questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using Stata-11 by Independent T-test and one way ANOVA.
Findings Most participants aged 20 to 30 years (52.3%) and 53.7 % were males. Most participants had postgraduate diploma level (55.8 %) and were students (31.9 %). Participants had a weak level to access information (42.1%), weak level to perceive data (54.4%), moderate in judgment and assessment (64.9%) and moderate in use of information (88.8%).
Conclusion Overall, there was a poor health literacy in adults. This indicates the need for more attention to health education and health promotion programs. It seems necessary to design and implement comprehensive plans using media and simple training methods for adults with a low level of health literacy.
Materials & Methods This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was performed on 285 subjects aged 20-60 years attending Tuyserkan health centers through convenience sampling method in 2014. Iranian health literacy questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using Stata-11 by Independent T-test and one way ANOVA.
Findings Most participants aged 20 to 30 years (52.3%) and 53.7 % were males. Most participants had postgraduate diploma level (55.8 %) and were students (31.9 %). Participants had a weak level to access information (42.1%), weak level to perceive data (54.4%), moderate in judgment and assessment (64.9%) and moderate in use of information (88.8%).
Conclusion Overall, there was a poor health literacy in adults. This indicates the need for more attention to health education and health promotion programs. It seems necessary to design and implement comprehensive plans using media and simple training methods for adults with a low level of health literacy.
CITATION LINKS
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[17]Jovic-Vranes A, Bjegovic-Mikanovic V. Which women patients have better health literacy in Serbia?. Patient Educ Couns.2012; 89(1): 209-12.
[18]Reisi M, Mostafavi F, Hasanzadeh A, Sharifirad Gh. [The Relationship between health literacy, health status and healthy behaviors among elderly in Isfahan]. Journal of Health System Research.2011; 7(4):469-70. (Persian)
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[20]Downey LV, Zun LS. Assessing adult health literacy in urban healthcare settings. J Natl Med Assoc.2008; 100(11):1304-8.
[21]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.
[22]Baker DW, Williams MV, Parker RM, Gazmararian JA, Nurss J. Development of a brief test to measure functional health literacy. Patient Educ Couns.1999; 38(1): 33-42.
[23]von Wagner C, Knight K, Steptoe A, Wardle J. Functional health literacy and health-promoting behaviour in a na-tional sample of British adults. J Epidemiol Community Health.2007; 61(12):1086-90.
[24]Ghanbari S, Majlessi F, Ghafari M, Mahmoudi-Majdabadi M. [Evaluation of health literacy of pregnant women in urban health centers of Shahid Beheshti Medical University]. Daneshvar Medicine.2011; 19(97):1-13. (Persian)
[25]Kandula NR, Nsiah-Kumi PA, Makoul G, Sager J, Zei CP, Glass S, et al. The relationship between health literacy and knowledge improvement after a multimedia type 2 diabetes education program. Patient Educ Couns.2009; 75(3): 321-7.
[26]Powell CK, Hill EG, Clancy DE. The relationship between health literacy and diabetes knowledge and readiness to take health actions. Diabetes Educ.2007; 33(1):144-51.
[27]Tol A, Pourreza A, Rahimi-Foroshani A, Tavassoli E. [Assessing the effect of educational program based on small group on promoting knowledge and health literacy among women with type 2 diabetes referring to selected hos-pitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences]. Razi Journal of Medical Sciences.2013; 19(104):10-9. (Persian)
[2]North Carolina Institute of Medicine. Just what did the doctor order? Addressing low health literacy in North Caroli-na. NCIOM Web Site; 2007 [updated 18 August, 2014; cited 25 November, 2014]; Available from: http://www.nciom.org/wpcontent/uploads/NCIOM/projects/health_literacy/Preface.pdf
[3]Sihota S, Lennard L. Health literacy: being able to make the most of health. London: National Consumer Council; 2004: 11 Available from: http://www.ncc.org.uk/nccpdf/poldocs/NCC064_health_literacy.pdf
[4]Kickbusch L, Wait S, Maag D. Navigating Health: the Role of Health Literacy. Kickbusch Health Consult Web Site: 2006 [updated 18 June, 2014; cited 25 November, 2014]; Available from: http://www.ilonakickbusch.com/kickbusch-wAssets/docs/NavigatingHealth.pdf
[5]Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. WHO Web Site; 2008 [updated 29 October, 2014; cited 12 November, 2014]; Availa-ble from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2008/9789241563703_eng.pdf?ua=1
[6]Arozullah AM, Lee SY, Khan T, Kurup S, Ryan J, Bonner M, et al. The Roles of Low Literacy and Social Support in Pre-dicting the Preventability of Hospital Admission. J Gen Intern Med.2006; 21(2): 140-5.
[7]Sorensen K, Van den Broucke S, Fullam J, Doyle G, Pelikan J, Slonska Z, et al. Health literacy and public health: A sys-tematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health.2012; 12:80.
[8]Tsai TI, Lee SY, Tsai YW, Kuo KN. Methodology and Validation of Health Literacy Scale Development in Taiwan. J Health Commun.2011; 16(1): 50-61.
[9]Baker DW. The meaning and the measure of health literacy. J Gen Intern Med.2006; 21(8): 878-83.
[10]Baker DW. The meaning and the measure of health literacy. J Gen Intern Med.2006; 21(8): 878-83.
[11]Javadzade H, Sharifirad Gh, Reisi M, Tavassoli E, Rajati F. [Health Literacy among Adults of Isfahan, Iran]. Journal of Health System Research.2013; 9(5): 540-9. (Persian)
[12]Carthery-Goulart MT, Anghinah R, Areza-Fegyveres R, Bahia VS, Brucki SM, Damin A, et al. Performance of a Brazil-ian population on the test of functional health literacy in adults. Rev Saude Publica.2009; 43(4):631-8.
[13]Ozdemir H, Alper Z, Uncu Y, Bilgel N. Health literacy among adults: a study from Turkey. Health Educ Res.2010; 25(3): 464-77.
[14]Yost KJ, Webster K, Baker DW, Choi SW, Bode RK, Hahn EA. Bilingual health literacy assessment using the Talking Touchscreen/la Pantalla Parlanchina: Development and pilot testing. Patient Educ Couns.2009; 75(3):295-301.
[15]Nielsen-Bohlman L, Panzer AM, Kindig DA. Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion. 1th ed. Washington: National Academies Press; 2004.
[16]Weiss BD, Mays MZ, Martz W, Castro KM, DeWalt DA, Pignone MP, et al. Quick assessment of literacy in primary care: the newest vital sign. Ann Fam Med.2005; 3(6): 514-22.
[17]Jovic-Vranes A, Bjegovic-Mikanovic V. Which women patients have better health literacy in Serbia?. Patient Educ Couns.2012; 89(1): 209-12.
[18]Reisi M, Mostafavi F, Hasanzadeh A, Sharifirad Gh. [The Relationship between health literacy, health status and healthy behaviors among elderly in Isfahan]. Journal of Health System Research.2011; 7(4):469-70. (Persian)
[19]Wengryn MI, Hester EJ. Pragmatic skills used by older adults in social communication and health care contexts: precursors to health literacy. Contemporary Issues in Communication Sciences and Disorders.2011; 38: 41-52.
[20]Downey LV, Zun LS. Assessing adult health literacy in urban healthcare settings. J Natl Med Assoc.2008; 100(11):1304-8.
[21]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.
[22]Baker DW, Williams MV, Parker RM, Gazmararian JA, Nurss J. Development of a brief test to measure functional health literacy. Patient Educ Couns.1999; 38(1): 33-42.
[23]von Wagner C, Knight K, Steptoe A, Wardle J. Functional health literacy and health-promoting behaviour in a na-tional sample of British adults. J Epidemiol Community Health.2007; 61(12):1086-90.
[24]Ghanbari S, Majlessi F, Ghafari M, Mahmoudi-Majdabadi M. [Evaluation of health literacy of pregnant women in urban health centers of Shahid Beheshti Medical University]. Daneshvar Medicine.2011; 19(97):1-13. (Persian)
[25]Kandula NR, Nsiah-Kumi PA, Makoul G, Sager J, Zei CP, Glass S, et al. The relationship between health literacy and knowledge improvement after a multimedia type 2 diabetes education program. Patient Educ Couns.2009; 75(3): 321-7.
[26]Powell CK, Hill EG, Clancy DE. The relationship between health literacy and diabetes knowledge and readiness to take health actions. Diabetes Educ.2007; 33(1):144-51.
[27]Tol A, Pourreza A, Rahimi-Foroshani A, Tavassoli E. [Assessing the effect of educational program based on small group on promoting knowledge and health literacy among women with type 2 diabetes referring to selected hos-pitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences]. Razi Journal of Medical Sciences.2013; 19(104):10-9. (Persian)