Assessment of HIV/AIDS literacy in 15- 49 years old people in Yasuj and its related factors

Health literacy is the capacity of an individual to obtain, interpret, and understand basic health information and services and the competence to use such information and services in ways that are health enhancing. The aim of this study was to assess the HIV/AIDS health literacy in Yasuj and its related factors. In this cross-sectional study, a 21-item valid and reliable questionnaire was used. Our sample included 250 individuals aged 15- 49 years that selected by two-stage cluster sampling method and completed the questionnaire. Average of health literacy scores of participants was 10.30 ± 3.36 and only 16.4 percent of them had adequate HIV/AIDS literacy. In modified regression model, there was asignificant association between education (B= 0.40, p<0.001), being governmental staff (B=1.54, p=0.02), and low economic status (B= - 0.52, p=0.02) with HIV/AIDS literacy scores. Most of the individuals in this study had not enough HIV/AIDS literacy level. It seems that lack of access to information and services relevant to the HIV/AIDS; complexity and disproportion of information with audience; and inappropriate form of presenting health messages, cause low health literacy.