Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi (May 2021)
Bireysel Özellikler, Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Ve Genel Sağlık Durumu Arasındaki İlişki
Abstract
Bu çalışmada bireysel özellikler, sağlık okuryazarlığı ve genel sağlık durumu arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın verileri bireysel özellikleri belirlemeye yönelik sorular ve sağlık okuryazarlığı ölçeği içeren anket formuyla toplanmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda 382 kullanılabilir anket elde edilmiştir. Veriler SPSS paket programına girilerek gerekli analizler yapılmış ve kişilerin bireysel özellikleri, sağlık okuryazarlık düzeyleri ve genel sağlık durumları arasındaki ilişki incelenmeye çalışılmıştır. Katılımcıların %63,6’sının yeterli düzeyde sağlık okuryazarlığına sahip olmadığı, sağlık okuryazarlığı skor ortalamalarının 30,43 olduğu, sağlık okuryazarlığı seviyesi arttıkça genel sağlık durumunun da iyiye doğru gittiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar, bireysel özelliklerin sağlık okuryazarlığı üzerinde; sağlık okuryazarlığının da genel sağlık durumu üzerinde etkili olduğunu göstermiştir. EXTENDED SUMMARY Research Problem The period we are in is perhaps the period in which change is experienced the fastest. Changes in technology lead to improvements and changes in all areas of life. These developments and changes are rapidly adapted to health services, which are the most important in life. Thus, healthcare services encounter innovations at every stage of change. Today's health services force personals to be health literate. Based on this, this study aimed to decide the relationship between personal characteristics, health literacy, and general health status. Research Questions What is the health literacy level of personals? Do personal characteristics affect health literacy? How do personal characteristics affect health literacy? Do personal characteristics affect health literacy and health literacy overall health status? How do personal characteristics affect health literacy and health literacy overall health status? Literature Review Health literacy is defined as the ability to use, interpret and use health-related information and services such as the protection, improvement, and treatment of a person's health, or the ability to obtain, understand and use the necessary health information to make the most appropriate personal decision about health. Looking at the definitions, it is understood that personals may have different levels of health literacy depending on the degree to which they meet the mentioned requirements. Health literacy varies among personals in terms of variables such as age, gender, marital status, educational status, and monthly income. Changes in the provision of healthcare services further increase the complexity of the system. In such a complex system, people need to have a certain level of health literacy to reach the health services they need and to get the greatest benefit from the health services they reach. It is stated in the literature that personals with insufficient health literacy cannot access health services, use health services inadequately and excessively, cannot adapt to treatment, do not comply with the recommendations of the physician, and as a result of all these, there is not enough improvement in health outcomes. Methodology This study was conducted to investigate whether there are a relationship between personal characteristics, health literacy levels, and general health status of patients admitted to the hospital. The universe of the study consists of the patients who apply to the Kırıkkale Yüksek İhtisas Hospital within a month. The total number of patients from one year ago was used to determine the sample. It was determined that 881.955 patients applied to the hospital in the previous year and the average number of applications per month was around 73.500 people. It was determined that 382 people were enough for a universe of 73500 people. A questionnaire form consisting of two parts was used in the study. In the first part of the questionnaire form, there are questions about individual characteristics and a question about general health, in the second part, in the study named "European Health Literacy Project 2009-2012", developed by the European Union; SOYA-AB 47 (HLS-EU Q), whose Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Tanrıöver et al. Cronbach Alpha coefficient was used to test the reliability of the scale used in the study. Descriptive statistics, the One-Way ANOVA test, Independent Samples T-test, and Chi-Square test were used in analyzing the data. Results and Conclusions The average score obtained by the participants in the study from the health literacy scale was found to be 30.43. It was determined that 63.6% of the participants had insufficient health literacy. Also, it was found that there is a relationship between the trio of personal characteristics, health literacy, and general health status. Considering the factors affecting health literacy to prevent negative health consequences, it is thought and suggested that it would be beneficial to carry out studies to improve health literacy.
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