A Comparative Analysis of Student and Practising Nurses’ Health Literacy Knowledge in Ghana
This study examined student and practising nurses’ health literacy knowledge, and its correlates in Ghana. It was underpinned by an adapted version of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) conceptual framework of health literacy. We used convenience and snowball sampling techniques to collect data from...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/9/1/38 |
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| author | Adwoa Owusuaa Koduah Padmore Adusei Amoah Jacob Oppong Nkansah Angela Y. M. Leung |
| author_facet | Adwoa Owusuaa Koduah Padmore Adusei Amoah Jacob Oppong Nkansah Angela Y. M. Leung |
| author_sort | Adwoa Owusuaa Koduah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study examined student and practising nurses’ health literacy knowledge, and its correlates in Ghana. It was underpinned by an adapted version of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) conceptual framework of health literacy. We used convenience and snowball sampling techniques to collect data from 876 nurses (477 student nurses and 399 practising nurses) in a cross-sectional survey from February 2019 to June 2019. The respondents were drawn from all the former ten administrative regions of Ghana. Approximately 75.4% of the respondents had heard of health literacy. However, health literacy knowledge was generally low (average score of 6.6 out of 20) among both groups, with student nurses (average score of 5.8 out of 20) having significantly lower scores than practising nurses (average score of 7.4 out of 20). Factors associated with health literacy knowledge among student nurses included gender (male, B = −0.499, <i>p</i> < 0.01), trust in others (B = −0.874, <i>p</i> < 0.001), cultural values (B = 0.276, <i>p</i> < 0.001), year of study (B = 0.244, <i>p</i> < 0.05), and frequency of curative care use (B = −0.236, <i>p</i> < 0.05). For practising nurses, trust (B = −1.252, <i>p</i> < 0.01), cultural values (B = 0.357, <i>p</i> < 0.01), and working experience (B = 0.612, <i>p</i> < 0.01) were associated with their health literacy knowledge. Thus, responses targeted at gaps in health literacy knowledge of student and practising nurses must be sensitive to personal characteristics (e.g., gender), social values (e.g., issues of trust, and cultural beliefs and practices), as well as factors relating to nursing education and experience. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:30:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa773ae9eacb468da701415b320744aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:30:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa773ae9eacb468da701415b320744aa2023-11-21T08:09:33ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322021-01-01913810.3390/healthcare9010038A Comparative Analysis of Student and Practising Nurses’ Health Literacy Knowledge in GhanaAdwoa Owusuaa Koduah0Padmore Adusei Amoah1Jacob Oppong Nkansah2Angela Y. M. Leung3Center of Gerontological Nursing, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaInstitute of Policy Studies, Asia Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies, and School of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaCentre for Gerontological Nursing, WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services (WHOCC), School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaThis study examined student and practising nurses’ health literacy knowledge, and its correlates in Ghana. It was underpinned by an adapted version of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) conceptual framework of health literacy. We used convenience and snowball sampling techniques to collect data from 876 nurses (477 student nurses and 399 practising nurses) in a cross-sectional survey from February 2019 to June 2019. The respondents were drawn from all the former ten administrative regions of Ghana. Approximately 75.4% of the respondents had heard of health literacy. However, health literacy knowledge was generally low (average score of 6.6 out of 20) among both groups, with student nurses (average score of 5.8 out of 20) having significantly lower scores than practising nurses (average score of 7.4 out of 20). Factors associated with health literacy knowledge among student nurses included gender (male, B = −0.499, <i>p</i> < 0.01), trust in others (B = −0.874, <i>p</i> < 0.001), cultural values (B = 0.276, <i>p</i> < 0.001), year of study (B = 0.244, <i>p</i> < 0.05), and frequency of curative care use (B = −0.236, <i>p</i> < 0.05). For practising nurses, trust (B = −1.252, <i>p</i> < 0.01), cultural values (B = 0.357, <i>p</i> < 0.01), and working experience (B = 0.612, <i>p</i> < 0.01) were associated with their health literacy knowledge. Thus, responses targeted at gaps in health literacy knowledge of student and practising nurses must be sensitive to personal characteristics (e.g., gender), social values (e.g., issues of trust, and cultural beliefs and practices), as well as factors relating to nursing education and experience.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/9/1/38health literacyhealth literacy knowledgenursesstudent nursespractising nursesGhana |
| spellingShingle | Adwoa Owusuaa Koduah Padmore Adusei Amoah Jacob Oppong Nkansah Angela Y. M. Leung A Comparative Analysis of Student and Practising Nurses’ Health Literacy Knowledge in Ghana Healthcare health literacy health literacy knowledge nurses student nurses practising nurses Ghana |
| title | A Comparative Analysis of Student and Practising Nurses’ Health Literacy Knowledge in Ghana |
| title_full | A Comparative Analysis of Student and Practising Nurses’ Health Literacy Knowledge in Ghana |
| title_fullStr | A Comparative Analysis of Student and Practising Nurses’ Health Literacy Knowledge in Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Comparative Analysis of Student and Practising Nurses’ Health Literacy Knowledge in Ghana |
| title_short | A Comparative Analysis of Student and Practising Nurses’ Health Literacy Knowledge in Ghana |
| title_sort | comparative analysis of student and practising nurses health literacy knowledge in ghana |
| topic | health literacy health literacy knowledge nurses student nurses practising nurses Ghana |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/9/1/38 |
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