Mahmoud Moradi, Sara Bahrami Nia,
Volume 13, Issue 4 (11-2019)
Abstract
Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the health literacy of patients referring to specialist physicians' offices in the city of Kermanshah.
Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive analytical cross-sectional study. The population of the study (patients and their companions) included those referring to specialist physicians' offices. In 2017, 380 people were randomly selected and were studied during three months. The data collection tool was Health Literacy for Iranian Adults Assessment Questionnaire. Its validity was confirmed by specialists and its reliability turned out to be 0.89 by Cronbach's alpha. Data were analyzed by statistical tests (Spearman's correlation, Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test) using SPSS software.
Results: The findings of the study showed that the health literacy of patients and their relatives, referring to physicians' offices in the city of Kermanshah, was relatively favorable, i.e., more than average. The three sources of "the Internet", "questions asked from doctors and medical staff" and "radio and television" are the priorities of information or health literacy. The results showed that people's health literacy was different in terms of age, sex, education, and occupation.
Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that often those people who have low and limited health literacy are among vulnerable community groups (having old ages, low educational levels, and low income). So, considering the health information needs and health literacy of vulnerable groups and designing simple and targeted education using the appropriate media are recommended.
Omid Ali Gholami, Jamil Sadeghifar, Bahareh Kabiri, Shabnam Ghasemyani, Sadegh Sarhadi, Reza Jorvand,
Volume 17, Issue 4 (10-2023)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Health literacy is recognized as a key determinant of health and is a central focus of public health policy strategies. The present study aimed to assess the health literacy level and identify the factors influencing it among the clients of comprehensive health service centers in Ilam city.
Materials and Methods: In 2022, a descriptive-analytical study was conducted to examine 429 clients aged 18-65 years who visited comprehensive selected health service centers in Ilam city. For adults the data collection tool used was the Helia health literacy questionnaire. Sampling was conducted in nine clusters, with each cluster consisting of 50 samples. The data was analyzed using SPSS software, which included descriptive statistical tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and one-way analysis of variance, with a significance level set at 0.05.
Results: Based on the results, the average health literacy score was 80.16 ± 16.50. In terms of health literacy, 18.97% of people had inadequate or not very adequate health literacy, while 44.39% of the participants had excellent health literacy. The average health literacy scores across different dimensions are as follows: access to health information 65.74, comprehension of information 81/81, reading information skills 12.74, evaluation of information 05.75, and decision making and behavior based on information 61.92. A significant relationship was observed between job, education, and income variables and various dimensions of average health literacy (p-value≤0.001). However, there was no significant relationship between general health literacy and age, gender, and place of residence (P≤0.05).
Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrate that vulnerable groups have significantly lower literacy levels. Furthermore, given the impact of education on enhancing people’s health literacy, it is advisable to leverage mass media, social networks, and educational centers to enhance literacy levels as a potential factor in community health.
