Levels and Factors Associated with Health Literacy among University Students

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Sağlık Okuryazarlık Düzeyleri ve İlişkili Bazı Faktörler

Abstract

Aim: This research aimed to determine the level and factors associated with health literacy among university students.Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences from January 1 to May 11, 2018. Data was collected using the Turkish Health Literacy Scale-32, Multidimensional Health Control Locus of Control Scale A Form, and a 15-questions regarding some sociodemographic characteristics of the students. The data were analyzed by the SPSS version 22.0 program. Percentiles, mean with standard deviations, one-way analysis of variance, and correlation were used to describe the outputs. Independent sample t-test and logistic regression were done to identify factors associated with the health literacy of students. Statistical significance was declared at p < 0.05.Results: Around three quarter (72.4%) of the participants were women. The mean score of the total Health Literacy Scale was 31.54±11.4 while the mean score of treatment and service sub-dimension was 32.58±10.9; disease prevention and health promotion sub-dimension were 30.80±12.0. Women were 37.6% less likely to have adequate health literacy (Adjusted Odds Ratio 0.624, 95% CI 0.440-0.885). When the internal locus of control sub-dimension score increases by a unit, the probability of being adequate for the treatment and service sub-dimension scores increases 1.045 times (95% CI=1.013-1.077). Conclusion: Gender, income status, presence of chronic disease, perceived health status, perceived social support from family, friends, and health personnel, and internal locus of control of Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale A Form were some variables that had an association with students' health literacy.

Özet

Amaç: Bu araştırmanın amacı bir üniversitede öğrenim gören öğrencilerin sağlık okuryazarlığı düzeylerinin ve ilişkili bazı faktörlerin belirlenmesidir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Tanımlayıcı tipteki araştırmanın evrenini, 1 Ocak - 11 Mayıs 2018 tarihlerinde bir üniversitenin Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi ve İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesinde öğrenimine devam eden toplam 2400 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Çalışma 865 öğrenci ile (katılım düzeyi %36) tamamlanmıştır. Araştırmada Türkiye Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Ölçeği-32, Çok Boyutlu Sağlık Kontrol Odağı Ölçeği A Formu ile öğrencilerin bazı sosyodemografik özelliklerini sorgulayan 15 soruluk anket formunu içeren veri toplama aracı kullanılmıştır. Veriler SPSS 22.0 programında yüzdelik, ortalama, tek yönlü varyans analizi, post-hoc testleri, bağımsız örneklem t-testi, korelasyon ve lojistik regresyon kullanılarak analiz edilmiş ve p