Health Literacy and Environmental Risk Perception: A Sample From Family Health Center in Urban Areas
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate health literacy level and perception of environmental risk of patients applying to a family health center in urban areas.
Material and Method: This descriptive study was conducted between September-November 2017 and 226 people who applied to a family health center in urban areas were included in the study. Data was collected with a questionnaire including respondents socio-demographic characteristics, health materials skills and environmental risk perceptions. Level of health literacy was determined via Turkey Health Literacy Scale-32. In analysis of the data percentages, mean and Chi-square test were used.
Results: Of the respondents 30,1% were over the age of 50 and 61,1% were women. In the study group 8,8% had “adequate or excellent” health literacy levels. Among those, the rate of adequate health literacy level was 5.3% in “treatment and services” sub-dimension and was 11,5% in “disease prevention and health promotion” sub-dimension. Adequate health literacy level was significantly higher among youngest, highly educated, married individuals, who had “good” self-perception and medical material skills (p<0,05). Participants were showed air pollution in the first rank among environmental risks. Also, keep away from risky places and use private protective materials were took place on the top among protectice measurements. Environmental risk perception and protective measures were found effective on health literacy level (p<0.05).
Conclusion: In our study, limitations were common in health literacy level of the research group. Enhancing education level of the community will contribute to improve health literacy level and welfare of the cities. Developing programs on the effects and dimension of health literacy in urban areas will be useful to raise awareness about environmental risks and health of the cities.
Keywords
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2006). Health Literacy, Avustralia. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au
- Berens EM, Vogt D, Messer M, Hurrelmann K, Schaeffer D. (2016). Health literacy among different age groups in Germany: results of a cross-sectional survey. BMC Public Health, 16(1):1151. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3810-6
- Chinn D. (2011). Critical health literacy: A review and critical analysis. Soc Sci Med, 73, 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.04.004
- Duong VT, Lin IF, Sorensen K, Pelikan JM, Van Den Broucke S, Lin YC, Chang PW. (2015). Health Literacy in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study. Asia Pac J Public Health, 27(8),871-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539515607962.
- Jovic-Vranes A, Bjegovic-Mikanovic V. (2012). Which women patients have better health literacy in Serbia?. Patient Educ Couns, 89(1), 209-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2012.06.001
- Kučera Z, Pelikan J, Šteflová A. (2016). Health literacy in Czech population results of the comparative representative research. Cas Lek Cesk, Fall, 155(5), 233-241.
- Nielsen-Bohlman L, Panzer MA, Kindig DA. (2004). Health literacy: a prescription to end confusion. Institute of Medicine The National Academies Press, Washington, 20-65. https://doi.org/10.17226/10883
- Nutbeam D. (2000). Health literacy as a , health goal: a challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st Century. Health Promot Int, 15(3), 259-267. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/15.3.259
- Okyay P, Abacıgil F. (2016). Türkiye Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Ölçekleri Güvenirlik ve Geçerlilik Çalışması. T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı, Yayın No: 1025, Anıl Reklam Matbaa Ltd, Şti., Kızılay/Ankara.
- Özdemir H, Alper Z, Uncu Y, Bilgel N. (2010). Health literacy among adults: a study from Turkey. Health Educ Res, 25(3), 464-77. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyp068
- Pelikan JM., Rothlin F., Ganahl K. (2012). Comperative Report on Health Literacy in eight EU Member States, The European Health Literacy Project, 2009- 2012. Maastricht, HLS-EU Consortium, p 31-33.
- Ramirez-Andreotta MD, Brody JG, Lothrop N, Loh M, Beamer PI, Brown P. (2016). Improving environmental health literacy and justice through environmental exposure results communication. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 13(7), 690. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13070690
- Rootman I, Gordon-El-Bihbety D. (2008). A vision for a health literate canada: report of the expert panel on health literacy. Canadian Public Health Association, Carling Avenue Ottawa, p 10-11.
- Shone L, Conn MK, Sanders L, Halterman JS. (2009). The role of parent health literacy among urban children with persistent asthma. Patient Educ Couns, 75, 368– 375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2009.01.004
- Talbot L, Verrinder G. (2010). Promoting health: the primary health care approach (4 th ed). Churchill Livingstone, Reed International Books Avustralia Pty Ltd, 198-199.
- U.S. Department of Health And Human Services. (2008). Assessing the Nation’s Health Literacy: key concepts and findings of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). Retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/367/hl_ report_ 2008.pdf
- U.S. Department of Health And Human Services. Healthy People 2010: understanding and improving health. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2010
- UNESCO (2009). Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/en/efa-international-coordination/the-efa-movement/efagoals/adult-literacy/
- Von Wagner C, Knight K, Steptoe A, Wardle J. (2007). Functional health literacy and health promoting behaviour in a national sample of British adults. J Epidemiol Community Health, 61(12), 1086-1090. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2006.053967
- World Health Organization. (2013). Health literacy: the solid facts. WHO Europe 2013. Retrieved from http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/190655/e96854.pdf
Abstract
Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı kentsel bölgede bir aile sağlığı merkezine başvuran bireylerde sağlık okuryazarlığı düzeyi ile çevresel risk algısının değerlendirilmesidir.
Gereç-Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı özellikteki bu araştırma Eylül-Kasım 2017 yılında yapıldı. Kentsel bölgede bir aile sağlığı merkezine başvuran 226 kişi çalışmaya alındı. Araştırma verileri katılımcıların sosyo-demografik özelliklerini, sağlık materyalleri ile ilgili becerilerini, çevresel risk algılarını sorgulayan bir anket formu ile toplandı. Sağlık okuryazarlığı düzeyi Türkiye Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Ölçeği-32 aracığı ile belirlendi. Verilerin analizinde yüzdelik, ortalama ve Ki-kare testi kullanıldı.
Bulgular: Katılımcıların %30,1’i 50 yaş ve üzerinde olup %61,1’i kadındı. Araştırma grubunun %8,8’i “yeterli ya da mükemmel” sağlık okuryazarlığı düzeyine sahipti. Sağlık okuryazarlığı yeterli düzeyde olanların oranı “tedavi ve hizmet” alt boyutunda %5,3 ve “hastalıklardan korunma ve sağlığın geliştirilmesi” alt boyutunda %11,5’ti. Yeterli sağlık okuryazarlığı düzeyinin genç yaş grubunda, yüksek eğitimlilerde, evli olmayanlarda, genel sağlığını “iyi” olarak değerlendirenlerde, tıbbi materyal becerileri olanlarda anlamlı ölçüde yüksek bulundu (p<0,05). Katılımcıların belirttiği çevresel riskler arasında ilk sırada hava kirliliği, bu risklere yönelik alınan önlemler arasında ise ilk sırada riskli ortamlardan uzak durma ve özel koruyucular kullanma yer aldı. Çevresel risk algısı ve alınan önlemler sağlık okuryazarlığı üzerinde etkili bulundu (p<0.05).
Sonuç: Çalışmamızda araştırma grubunun sağlık okuryazarlığı düzeyinde kısıtlılıkların yaygın olduğu belirlendi. Toplumun eğitim düzeyinin yükseltilmesi sağlık okuryazarlığının düzeyinin yükselmesine ve şehirlerine esenliğine katkı sağlayacaktır. Sağlık okuryazarlığının kentsel bölgelerde boyutu ve etkileri üzerine programların geliştirilmesi, toplumun çevresel risklere yönelik farkındalığını ve kent sağlığını artırmada yararlı olacaktır.
Keywords
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2006). Health Literacy, Avustralia. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au
- Berens EM, Vogt D, Messer M, Hurrelmann K, Schaeffer D. (2016). Health literacy among different age groups in Germany: results of a cross-sectional survey. BMC Public Health, 16(1):1151. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3810-6
- Chinn D. (2011). Critical health literacy: A review and critical analysis. Soc Sci Med, 73, 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.04.004
- Duong VT, Lin IF, Sorensen K, Pelikan JM, Van Den Broucke S, Lin YC, Chang PW. (2015). Health Literacy in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study. Asia Pac J Public Health, 27(8),871-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539515607962.
- Jovic-Vranes A, Bjegovic-Mikanovic V. (2012). Which women patients have better health literacy in Serbia?. Patient Educ Couns, 89(1), 209-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2012.06.001
- Kučera Z, Pelikan J, Šteflová A. (2016). Health literacy in Czech population results of the comparative representative research. Cas Lek Cesk, Fall, 155(5), 233-241.
- Nielsen-Bohlman L, Panzer MA, Kindig DA. (2004). Health literacy: a prescription to end confusion. Institute of Medicine The National Academies Press, Washington, 20-65. https://doi.org/10.17226/10883
- Nutbeam D. (2000). Health literacy as a , health goal: a challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st Century. Health Promot Int, 15(3), 259-267. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/15.3.259
- Okyay P, Abacıgil F. (2016). Türkiye Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Ölçekleri Güvenirlik ve Geçerlilik Çalışması. T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı, Yayın No: 1025, Anıl Reklam Matbaa Ltd, Şti., Kızılay/Ankara.
- Özdemir H, Alper Z, Uncu Y, Bilgel N. (2010). Health literacy among adults: a study from Turkey. Health Educ Res, 25(3), 464-77. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyp068
- Pelikan JM., Rothlin F., Ganahl K. (2012). Comperative Report on Health Literacy in eight EU Member States, The European Health Literacy Project, 2009- 2012. Maastricht, HLS-EU Consortium, p 31-33.
- Ramirez-Andreotta MD, Brody JG, Lothrop N, Loh M, Beamer PI, Brown P. (2016). Improving environmental health literacy and justice through environmental exposure results communication. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 13(7), 690. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13070690
- Rootman I, Gordon-El-Bihbety D. (2008). A vision for a health literate canada: report of the expert panel on health literacy. Canadian Public Health Association, Carling Avenue Ottawa, p 10-11.
- Shone L, Conn MK, Sanders L, Halterman JS. (2009). The role of parent health literacy among urban children with persistent asthma. Patient Educ Couns, 75, 368– 375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2009.01.004
- Talbot L, Verrinder G. (2010). Promoting health: the primary health care approach (4 th ed). Churchill Livingstone, Reed International Books Avustralia Pty Ltd, 198-199.
- U.S. Department of Health And Human Services. (2008). Assessing the Nation’s Health Literacy: key concepts and findings of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). Retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/367/hl_ report_ 2008.pdf
- U.S. Department of Health And Human Services. Healthy People 2010: understanding and improving health. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2010
- UNESCO (2009). Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/en/efa-international-coordination/the-efa-movement/efagoals/adult-literacy/
- Von Wagner C, Knight K, Steptoe A, Wardle J. (2007). Functional health literacy and health promoting behaviour in a national sample of British adults. J Epidemiol Community Health, 61(12), 1086-1090. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2006.053967
- World Health Organization. (2013). Health literacy: the solid facts. WHO Europe 2013. Retrieved from http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/190655/e96854.pdf
Details
| Primary Language | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Health Sciences Education and Development of Programs: Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences |
| Journal Section | Research Articles |
| Authors | |
| Early Pub Date | November 10, 2023 |
| Publication Date | November 10, 2023 |
| Submission Date | October 25, 2023 |
| Acceptance Date | November 1, 2023 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2023 Issue: 1 |
