Authors : Fatemeh Hasan-Nezhad, Ali Sharifan and Maryam Tavakoli
Abstract: Health literacy is an important element for ability of people to participate in activities relevant to health, therapeutic decisions and diseases prevention. Purpose of this study is evaluating health literacy from the health perspective of population covered by Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences. This is a descriptive-analytical study in kind of cross-sectional research conducted on 413 persons at the range age of 158-64, 2015 covered by Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences in urban and rural areas. To assess health literacy, a questionnaire including 5 dimensions (access, reading, understanding, evaluation and decision-making) and 49 questions was applied. Collected data was analyzed using regression models through SPSS20 Software and survey models through Stata Software. In total, 413 members (46.5% men and 53.5% women) participated in this project. Health literacy level of participants was at average level of 46% in terms of access to more health information at good level of 53% in terms of understand more health information at good level of 99% in terms of judge or appraise more information and at average level of 80.9% in terms of apply more information. Generally, health literacy of studied population is at marginal border. Since, health literacy plays a vital role in improvement of health status leading to health improvement among society members, it is necessary to consider this issue within educational programs of hygiene and health promotion.
Fatemeh Hasan-Nezhad, Ali Sharifan and Maryam Tavakoli, 2017. Evaluation of Health Literacy and its Factors Affecting in the Population Covered by Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences 2015 in Sabzevar, Iran. Research Journal of Medical Sciences, 11: 143-148.