The Relationships Between Smoking Intention and Various Dimensions of Health Literacy Among University Students

Abstract

Background: Cigarette Smoking plays an important role in causing chronic diseases around the world and its consumption among adolescents is quickly increasing. Significant relationship has been reported between the smoking status and health literacy. Objective: This investigation aimed at recognizing the relationships between smoking intention and various dimensions of health literacy in university students. Methods: In the current cross-sectional investigation, 542 students of Mashhad Universities of Applied Sciences were collected using cluster sampling method. Data collection tools were sociodemographic, health literacy, and smoking intention questionnaire. Data were analyzed through SPSS software. Results: Among the various investigated dimensions of health literacy, the decision making and health information application dimension has the lowest score and the reading skills and access dimensions have the highest score, respectively. Results showed that the smoking intention was associated significantly with decision making (ß Standard: -0.27, Confidence interval: -0.03 - -0.01) and health information application and access dimensions (ß Standard: -0.3, Confidence interval: -0.03 - -0.02). Furthermore, decision making and health information application dimension was the strongest smoking intention predictor. Conclusion: Recognizing the skills that are most strongly associated with smoking decision-making can help designers develop clear, informative, and actionable programs and training. The findings of this investigation indicated the fact that in order to reduce the intention of smoking and in contrast to increase carrying out preventive and healthy behaviors among university students, specific consideration must be had to the factor of health literacy and its effective dimensions.

Keywords

• health literacy
• smoking intention
• university students