Health Literacy among students of Farhangian University

• Main Authors: Fatemeh Zahra Ahmadi, Mahmoud Mehr-Mohammadi, Ebrahim Talaee, Hashem Fardanesh, Mahdieh Paknahad, Susan Taghizadeh, Hajar Hamedi, Sepideh Nourozi, Ali Montazeri
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research 2018-06-01
• Series: Payesh
• Subjects: health literacy; students of farhangian university; helia questionnaire
• Online Access: http://payeshjournal.ir/article-1-44-en.html

Objective (s): Teachers play a critical role as health promoters. However, little is known on health literacy among students of Farhangian university which is responsible for training the future teachers. The aim of this study was to assess health literacy and related factors in students of this university. Methods: The Health Literacy for Adults (HELIA) was administered face-to-face in a sample 932 students during May 2015. The questionnaire contained 33 items tapping into five dimensions: health information, reading, understanding, appraisal, and behavioral intention. Each item was rated on a 5-point scale giving a total score ranging from 0 (the worse) to 100 (the Best). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tests. Results: The mean age of participants was 26/03 (SD=9/6) years and almost 70% were female. Overall, the health literacy (HL) score of the students was 67.28 (SD= 13.21). Among all students 10/5 % showed inadequate HL, 34/4 % problematic HL, 45/1% sufficient HL, and 10% excellent HL. HL was significantly associated with age, gender and marital status. Conclusion: As the prevalence of high limited health literacy among future teachers is a barrier against enhancing the health literacy of students at schools, there is a need to design, implement and evaluate different educational interventions to address limited health literacy among this population.