Journal of Health Literacy
Volume:5 Issue: 2, Summer 2020

Covid 19 viral disease (Coronavirus 2019) was created in December 2019 in Wuhan of China and it quickly spread worldwide and it is a serious issue for public sanitation and people health and all the societies on the planet. As other pandemic diseases, people want to know what can be done to prevent and treat the disease. Considering that no specific controls or any methods have yet been developed to prevent and treat the disease, the need for taking care of themselves and to prevent the prevalence of this disease is significant as well. People in affected communities should learn to protect themselves from the potential dangers and harms of the spread of this mysterious and novelty virus. Having information is the first step to achieve health and health information is as a relationship between health education and health promotion. So access to health information helps to learn more about health and choosing a healthy lifestyle. Health information covers a wide range of information that includes information about diseases, how to prevent and treat them which is one of the main concerns of most people. Health information seeking behavior is widely regarded as a way for people to gain information about health, illness, health promotion and health risks. Currently lots of information about the spread of Covid-19 is being spread though new web media such as websites and social networks.

Minor Psychiatric Disorders (MPDs) are the most common mental disorders including depression, stress, and anxiety. In this study, we aimed to investigate association between health literacy status and MPDs. This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 students who were studying at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2018. The Probability Proportional to Size sampling were used to selected eligible students. Data were collected using a demographic checklist, 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA) Questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed using latent class regression in Latent Gold, version 4.5. Most of the students (51.6%) were male and 16.8% were married; the dominant education level (43.2%) was PhD. The mean scores of GHQ-12 and HELIA were 13.38±6.13 (out of 36) and 59.84 ±12.87 (out of 100), respectively. The result showed that 21.6% (n = 54) of students had an inadequate level of health literacy, 43.2% (n = 108) were in margin level and 35.2% (n = 88) had an adequate level of health literacy. A total of 26.13% had low levels of MPDs and 56.76% had moderated MPDs. Seventeen percent scored in the high range. Health literacy was significantly and negatively associated with MPD. Health literacy status among students was at a low and moderate level, which is not satisfactory. The findings of this study confirmed the influential role of health literacy on MPDs. Therefore, it is suggested that lack the health literacy skills needed to interventional function in the student’s population.  Health professionals need to provide educational interventions on PMDs based health literacy issues to ensure that students can understand their health and make informed decisions. The main step in controlling and reducing PMD is to implement trainings program and health literacy strategies to improve the health literacy abilities of the student population.

Angina pectoris is one of the most common among heart diseases. Low health literacy is associated with a high prevalence of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Considering the significant burden of heart disease, improving the level of health literacy of individuals can play a decisive role in the prevention and treatment of these diseases and saving resources. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of health in patients to Angina pectoris, who referred to selected hospitals in Tehran.

This study is a descriptive-analytical study that was performed on 405 patients with angina referred to the heart clinics of selected hospitals in Tehran in 2017. Patients were selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected using demographic questionnaires, Health Literacy of Iranian Adults (HELIA) and analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics and Anova with SPSS software version 20.

: The mean age of the patients was 53.08. The average score of health literacy of patients with angina pectoris (63.77 ± 15.44) is based on the fact that it can be said that the subjects in terms of health literacy were not at a sufficient level. The results of Anova statistical test showed There is a statistically significant relationship between health literacy level and age variables, education level, employment status, income level, duration of heart disease and heart disease and ways of obtaining medical information (p <0.05).

The findings showed that patients need more explanation to understand and use health information and need to spend more time acquiring information in a simpler and more understandable language.

Type 2 diabetes is a non-communicable disease with silent epidemics and a growing health problem. Due to the role of health literacy in control of diabetes, in this study, the level of health literacy and its relationship with demographic factors will be examined in Emam Reza Clinic of arak.

In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, 201 diabetic patients who had referred to the diabetes clinic of Imam Reza Clinic in Arak in 1398 were entered in the study by available sampling method. The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HELIA) was completed by the physician in an interview with patients. data was entered into statistical software spss23 and analyzed with statistical tests (Mann– Whitney Test, and Kruskal–Wallis).

The Means age of patients was 57.37 ± 12.93 years. Most patients (62.7%) were women. The average total health literacy was 55.20 ± 22.14. The highest literacy level was in the accessibility dimension )60.03 ± 32.73(and the lowest in the reading dimension (46.45 ± 21.73(. Health literacy was lower in the elderly and higher in men and people living in the city (p = 0.0001). Health literacy also increases with education and it is higher in Employees and students (p = 0.0001).

According to the results of study, the level of health literacy in diabetic patients is low and it is related with age, gender, education, occupation and place of residence of diabetic patients. promoting health literacy of patients, it is necessary to help control of diabetes and prevent its chronic complications.

The positive effects of regular physical activity are already approved in all age groups. However, sedentary life style among teenagers is common all around the world. The understanding of self-efficacy can help to maintain and improve health promoting behaviors. This study aimed at psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of the Self-Efficacy to Regulate Exercise Questionnaire (SEREQ) among 15 to 18-year-old girls. In order to evaluate psychometric characteristics of the Persian version of the SEREQ, 439 students were randomly selected by the cluster sampling method from different educational districts. After translating the questionnaire using the Joan's approach, its validity and reliability were evaluated by the Cronbach's alpha, content validity indicators, content validity index and Confirmatory factor analysis. The students' mean age was 16.51±1.04 years and their mean BMI was 21.40±3.64. The content validity indicators (0.98) and content validity index (0.97) were at an acceptable level for all the questionnaire's items. The level of Cronbach's alpha among the SEREQ questions was 0.898. Confirmatory factor analysis findings showed acceptable fit indices (CFI = 0.946, TLI = 0.934, RMSEA = 0.049, 2.067 = 125/258   =d/2). The findings of the current study showed that the SEREQ has acceptable validity and reliability in Persian version and can be used to evaluate the efficacy of regular physical activity among Iranian female adolescents.

One of the most important goals of diabetes control is to empower patients to perform self-care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between health literacy and self-care behaviors in type 2 diabetic in elderly. Materials and

All diabetic elderly referring to health centers of the city of Fariman in 2019 were enrolled in the study. The interviewer referred to elderly 's home and if they were satisfied, the questionnaire completed. Data were collected by demographic questionnaires, health literacy questionnaire and self-care questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and statistical tests regression analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient and one-way ANOVA, Chi-square test were used.

Mean age was 67.7 years and mean FBS was 122.8. Over 60% were female, 80% had primary and lower education, 81% had a spouse, and 26% had no job.).  The mean and standard deviation of health literacy score was 76.4 ±7.5 and self-care was 63.00±7.4. Health literacy had significantly correlation with gender (p <0.000) and FBS (p <0.000). Self-care had significantly correlation with gender (p <0.000). Health literacy was significantly correlated with self-care behaviors (p = 0.00, r = -0.35) and HbA1C (p <0.001, r = -0.34). Health literacy was significantly correlated with diet (p = 0.00, r = 0.25) and medication use ((p = 0.00, r = 0.43) and foot care (p = 0.004, r = 0.21).

 According to the findings, Elderly women and people with lower education have lower health literacy. As a result, in the plans taken to promote health literacy more attention should be paid to these people.

Social health refers to the evaluation and recognition of an individual's performance in society and the quality of his or her relationships with others, relatives, and social groups. On the other hand, health literacy enables people to play an active role in changing environments to influence health and it is considered a determinant of health. The present study was conducted to investigate the status of social health and health literacy in non-medical students. This study was conducted by survey method with descriptive-correlation approach on 200 non-medical students of Islamic Azad University, Rasht Branch in the academic year of 2018-2019. The subjects were selected by quota sampling. An adult health literacy questionnaire (HELIA) was used to collect information. The dimensions of access, reading skills, comprehension, evaluation, decision making and use of health information and Keyes social health questionnaire were analyzed using version 23 of SPSS software and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and chi-square test. The mean score of health literacy and social health was 120.38± 16.26 and 109.87± 11.09, respectively. The highest mean score (76.61) was related to comprehension and perception. The majority of people had adequate health literacy and their social health status was moderate. In social health components, the lowest score was obtained in the dimension of social participation and the highest was related to the dimension of social cohesion. There was no significant statistical correlation between students' health literacy and social health scores (p = 90.) In the present study, a significant percentage of students had inadequate health literacy levels. Also, the low dimensions of admission and social participation in students can affect their social and interpersonal relationships and also affect other aspects of their health.