Investigating Health Literacy of Teachers in Asaluyeh

Abstract

Background: Health literacy is defined as the ability of individuals to read, understand, and act on health-related concepts in order to make healthy decisions. This study was conducted to determine the level of health literacy of teachers in Asaluyeh city, Iran. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 200 teachers who were selected using stratified random sampling method in Asaluyeh in the academic year 2015 - 2016. Health Literacy for Iranian Adults questionnaire (HELIA) was used to measure their health literacy. Data were analyzed by SPSS20 and by using descriptive statistics, one way ANOVA, independent t test, T-student, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The mean age of participants was 30.56 years (SD = 4.5(, 59% of them were male (n = 118) and 41% were female (n = 82). Teachers' health literacy status was in moderate level for 9.6% of participants (n = 99) regarding access to information, for 44.6% of participants (n = 89) regarding information comprehension in, for 68.4% of participants (n = 136) regarding judgment and assessment, and for 68.4% of participants (n = 136) regarding information use. We found that health literacy had a significant relationship with gender and age. Conclusion: In this study, teachers' health literacy was at moderate level. So, it is necessary to provide effective internet resources and useful sites. We should also conduct health education programs in media such as radio and television to improve health literacy in teachers, especially in more experienced teachers.

Keywords

• Health Literacy
• Teachers
• Asaluyeh city