Adult Functional Health Literacy and its Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study
Background and aims: Health literacy (HL) can affect individual health, health communication and error in taking medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the level of HL and associated factors among Iranian adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 240 participants over 18 years of age...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences
2019-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Epidemiologic Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ijer.skums.ac.ir/article_34952_30556c43338eb1804074172e8851f766.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818137945188597760 |
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| author | Babak Moeini Masomeh Rostami-Moez Fereshteh Besharati Javad Faradmal Saeed Bashirian |
| author_facet | Babak Moeini Masomeh Rostami-Moez Fereshteh Besharati Javad Faradmal Saeed Bashirian |
| author_sort | Babak Moeini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and aims: Health literacy (HL) can affect individual health, health communication and error in taking medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the level of HL and associated factors among Iranian adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 240 participants over 18 years of age referring to health centers in Hamadan, west of Iran in 2015 were selected by multistage random sampling. HL was assessed by the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA). The questionnaire was completed by a trained interviewer. The independent variables were structural and intermediate social factors based on the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). Data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS version 22. Results: Average age of the participants was 30.88 ±7.38 years and 75.4% of the them were female. The total score of HL was 64.58 ±16.71 (range: 23.82-98.98). Overall, 31.7% (n=76) of the participants had adequate HL level, 32.5% (n=78) had borderline HL level and 35.8% (n=86) had inadequate HL level. Additionally, participants with higher educational levels had higher HL scores than those with lower educational levels (P<0.001). HL score was significantly higher in males than in females (P=0.017). Conclusion: HL level seems to be inadequate among Iranian adults in the west of Iran. Moreover, enhancing social determinants such as educational level seems to increase HL. The results highlighted the necessity for change and improvement in adults’ HL. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T10:04:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8cd7bd977fe247eba27ad8be7128b0c3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2383-4366 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T10:04:21Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Epidemiologic Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-8cd7bd977fe247eba27ad8be7128b0c32022-12-22T01:12:00ZengShahrekord University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Epidemiologic Research2383-43662019-01-0161242910.15171/ijer.2019.05ijer-4024Adult Functional Health Literacy and its Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional StudyBabak Moeini0Masomeh Rostami-Moez1Fereshteh Besharati2Javad Faradmal3Saeed Bashirian41 Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IranResearch Center for Health Sciences Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IranSchool of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IranModeling of Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center & Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IranSchool of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IranBackground and aims: Health literacy (HL) can affect individual health, health communication and error in taking medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the level of HL and associated factors among Iranian adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 240 participants over 18 years of age referring to health centers in Hamadan, west of Iran in 2015 were selected by multistage random sampling. HL was assessed by the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA). The questionnaire was completed by a trained interviewer. The independent variables were structural and intermediate social factors based on the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). Data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS version 22. Results: Average age of the participants was 30.88 ±7.38 years and 75.4% of the them were female. The total score of HL was 64.58 ±16.71 (range: 23.82-98.98). Overall, 31.7% (n=76) of the participants had adequate HL level, 32.5% (n=78) had borderline HL level and 35.8% (n=86) had inadequate HL level. Additionally, participants with higher educational levels had higher HL scores than those with lower educational levels (P<0.001). HL score was significantly higher in males than in females (P=0.017). Conclusion: HL level seems to be inadequate among Iranian adults in the west of Iran. Moreover, enhancing social determinants such as educational level seems to increase HL. The results highlighted the necessity for change and improvement in adults’ HL.http://ijer.skums.ac.ir/article_34952_30556c43338eb1804074172e8851f766.pdfAdultsHealth literacyHealth promotionIranSocial determinant |
| spellingShingle | Babak Moeini Masomeh Rostami-Moez Fereshteh Besharati Javad Faradmal Saeed Bashirian Adult Functional Health Literacy and its Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study International Journal of Epidemiologic Research Adults Health literacy Health promotion Iran Social determinant |
| title | Adult Functional Health Literacy and its Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full | Adult Functional Health Literacy and its Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | Adult Functional Health Literacy and its Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adult Functional Health Literacy and its Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_short | Adult Functional Health Literacy and its Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_sort | adult functional health literacy and its related factors a cross sectional study |
| topic | Adults Health literacy Health promotion Iran Social determinant |
| url | http://ijer.skums.ac.ir/article_34952_30556c43338eb1804074172e8851f766.pdf |
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