Levels of Health Literacy and Associated Factors Among Adults in a Rural Municipality of Nepal: A Cross-sectional Study.
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| Title: | Levels of Health Literacy and Associated Factors Among Adults in a Rural Municipality of Nepal: A Cross-sectional Study. |
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| Authors: | Niroula, Sandhya1, Bhattarai, Gaurab1, Bhusal, Sandesh2,3, Pandey, Anjila4, Shah, Sangam5, Wagle, Subash1, Mandal, Prince5, Parajuli, Dikshya1, Jha, Aarya1, Dhakal, Bikrant6, Bhandari, Buna1,7, Paudel, Kiran2,3 kiranpaudel59@gmail.com, Adhikari, Tara Ballav2,8 |
| Source: | Journal of Community Health. Oct2024, Vol. 49 Issue 5, p879-886. 8p. |
| Subject Terms: | Health literacy, Cross-sectional method, Health status indicators, Income, Interviewing, Questionnaires, Multiple regression analysis, Descriptive statistics, Odds ratio, Rural conditions, Confidence intervals, Local government, Well-being, Self-perception |
| Geographic Terms: | Nepal |
| Abstract: | Health literacy is crucial in maintaining good health and well-being, yet community-based studies on health literacy in Nepal are scarce. This study aimed to assess the level of health literacy and identify associated factors among adults in Rasuwa, Nepal. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 253 adults aged above 18 years residing in Kalika Rural Municipality, Rasuwa. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the Psychometric Assessment of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16). Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate independent correlates of health literacy levels. The mean ± SD age of participants was 46.3 ± 16 years. Only about a quarter (23.3%) of participants had adequate health literacy. The participants aged ≤ 45 years (aOR:1.9,95% CI: 1.0-3.6), people who perceived their health status as satisfactory (aOR: 3.1,95% CI: 1.5–6.3), had satisfactory self-rated financial status (aOR: 2.9,95% CI: 1.5–5.5), had satisfactory level of self- related esteem (aOR = 2.7,95% CI: 1.2–6.2), had a stable income (aOR = 1.9, 95% CI:1.0-3.5) were more likely to demonstrate adequate health literacy level. Conversely, illiterate participants (aOR: 0.1, 95% CI: 0.04–0.4) and those engaged in agriculture (aOR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.2–0.9) had lower odds of having adequate health literacy. This study highlights inadequate health literacy status among approximately three-quarters of the participants. Factors such as age, self-rated health status, financial stability, self-esteem, and income were associated with health literacy levels. These findings underscore the importance of addressing socio-economic and individual factors in promoting health literacy initiatives, particularly targeting vulnerable populations, to improve overall health outcomes and healthcare utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | Health literacy is crucial in maintaining good health and well-being, yet community-based studies on health literacy in Nepal are scarce. This study aimed to assess the level of health literacy and identify associated factors among adults in Rasuwa, Nepal. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 253 adults aged above 18 years residing in Kalika Rural Municipality, Rasuwa. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the Psychometric Assessment of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16). Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate independent correlates of health literacy levels. The mean ± SD age of participants was 46.3 ± 16 years. Only about a quarter (23.3%) of participants had adequate health literacy. The participants aged ≤ 45 years (aOR:1.9,95% CI: 1.0-3.6), people who perceived their health status as satisfactory (aOR: 3.1,95% CI: 1.5–6.3), had satisfactory self-rated financial status (aOR: 2.9,95% CI: 1.5–5.5), had satisfactory level of self- related esteem (aOR = 2.7,95% CI: 1.2–6.2), had a stable income (aOR = 1.9, 95% CI:1.0-3.5) were more likely to demonstrate adequate health literacy level. Conversely, illiterate participants (aOR: 0.1, 95% CI: 0.04–0.4) and those engaged in agriculture (aOR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.2–0.9) had lower odds of having adequate health literacy. This study highlights inadequate health literacy status among approximately three-quarters of the participants. Factors such as age, self-rated health status, financial stability, self-esteem, and income were associated with health literacy levels. These findings underscore the importance of addressing socio-economic and individual factors in promoting health literacy initiatives, particularly targeting vulnerable populations, to improve overall health outcomes and healthcare utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00945145 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10900-024-01375-0 |
