This study investigates mental health literacy among young and middle-aged urban and rural residents and the differences in mental health literacy,perceived social support and subjective well-being.From January to Feb...This study investigates mental health literacy among young and middle-aged urban and rural residents and the differences in mental health literacy,perceived social support and subjective well-being.From January to February 2022,620 participants(320 rural and 300 urban residents)from three provinces of China were selected by con-venience sampling.A general data questionnaire,mental health literacy scale,perceived social support scale and subjective well-being scale were administered.The mental health literacy scores of urban residents were 3.34±0.57 and those of rural residents were 2.73±0.79.The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the mental health literacy scores of rural residents were more significant than those of urban residents in terms of sex and age,while urban residents’mental health literacy scores were more significant than those of rural resi-dents in terms of monthly income.Mental health literacy,perceived social support and subjective well-being of young and middle-aged urban and rural residents were all positively correlated(P<0.01).While the level of mental health literacy is better among urban residents than rural residents,perceived social support plays a partial mediating role between mental health literacy and subjective well-being of both urban and rural residents,and should be the focus of researchers seeking to improve the level of well-being of residents.展开更多
Background:The occurrence of mental health symptoms is higher in individuals aged between 18 and 24 years than in other age groups.Mental health literacy is derived from health literacy,and focuses on the knowledge,at...Background:The occurrence of mental health symptoms is higher in individuals aged between 18 and 24 years than in other age groups.Mental health literacy is derived from health literacy,and focuses on the knowledge,attitudes,and competencies that individuals need to acquire to manage their own health effectively.Low mental health literacy is associated with poorer mental health.Grit is also a known protective factor against mental disorders.Despite a heightened focus on mental health literacy and grit as important factors for decreasing mental health symptoms,knowledge of the effect of mental health literacy and grit on mental health symptoms is very limited.This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between mental health literacy and psychological symptoms and the mediating effect of grit on these relationships.Methods:This cross-sectional descriptive study used survey data from 178 university students in Korea.Data were collected between March and May 2022.The SPSS PROCESS macro(Model 4)was used to analyze the data.Results:Mental health literacy was not directly associated with psychological symptoms.However,an indirect pathway was observed between mental health literacy,depression,and anxiety,through grit.Conclusion:Mental health literacy affects psychological symptoms through grit.Therefore,to improve the mental health of university students,it is necessary to develop programs that increase mental health literacy and grit.展开更多
The prevalence of mental health problems in both Malaysian and global workplaces has significantly increased due to the presence of the coronavirus disease(COVID-19)pandemic,globalization,technology advancement in Indu...The prevalence of mental health problems in both Malaysian and global workplaces has significantly increased due to the presence of the coronavirus disease(COVID-19)pandemic,globalization,technology advancement in Industry 4.0,and other contributing factors.The pervasiveness of the issue poses a huge challenge to improving the occupational safety and health(OSH)of workers in various industries,especially in the digital industry.The emergence of the innovative industry is evident mainly due to the rapid development of Industry 4.0 and the rele-vant demands of multiple businesses in the digital transformation.Nonetheless,limited studies and academic dis-cussions were conducted on the OSH topic of digital employees.Hence,the current study serves tofill the existing gap and provide academic contributions by scrutinising the perceptions of digital workers regarding their work-place well-being,mental health literacy,and the impression of employing e-mental health.The objectives of this study are:1)To examine the mental health literacy and workplace wellness of digital workers,2)to explore the e-mental health usage intention and actual e-mental health utilization,and 3)to identify digital workers’feedback on e-mental health.In the current context,e-mental health focuses on three dimensions,namely,1)“health in our hand(HIOH)”,2)“interacting for health(IFH)”,and 3)“data enabling health(DEH)”.The present study employed an online cross-sectional survey and received 326 digital workers’completed responses.Variables,such as“mental health literacy(MHL)”,“workplace wellness(WW)”,and e-mental health intention and usage were explicated by analysing the data through descriptive statistics.The study results indicated a moderate to a high level of the MHL and the WW.More than half of the workers possessed a high intention level to employ e-mental health,with the HIOH dimension being the most prevalent domain.Nevertheless,the actual e-mental health usage was very low,owing to the online resources being a new concept amongst digital employees.Numerous confounding factors also existed in affecting the low usage,such as privacy concerns,data security levels,and health verification issues.In addition,the mental health issue has not been openly and widely discussed in Malay-sian workplaces due to stigmatisation.As such,the currentfindings could provide additional insights into the OSH literature;it could serve as a guideline for the OSH decision-makers,employers,and eHealth developers when establishing a feasible framework for the practical adoption of e-mental health services by digital workers.展开更多
Background:To systematically evaluate the measurement performance of the maternal and child health literacy scale and the study’s methodological quality and to provide a reference for selecting and developing related...Background:To systematically evaluate the measurement performance of the maternal and child health literacy scale and the study’s methodological quality and to provide a reference for selecting and developing related health outcome measurement tools.Methods:Databases such as CNKI,PubMed,and Embase were searched,and the search time frame was established until January 2023.The literature was independently screened by two researchers.The methodological quality and measurement performance of the included scales were evaluated using the health measurement tool selection criteria,and the evaluation results were summarized and analyzed using descriptive analysis.Results:A total of six papers were included,covering six specific scales,with significant differences in the methodological quality and measurement performance of their development studies,none of which evaluated hypothesis testing,the validity of scales,cross-cultural validity,measurement error,or responsiveness.Conclusion:The methodological quality and scale measurement performance of the maternal health literacy inventory in pregnancy,the women’s reproductive health literacy in pregnancy questionnaire,and the maternal and infant health literacy scale development studies are relatively high,but the number of studies on maternal and infant health literacy specific scales is relatively insufficient,and more studies should be conducted in the future.展开更多
Objective:Health literacy is closely associated with self-care behaviors in heart-failure patient.A reliable,valid,and practical measuring tool would evaluated the level of health literacy in Chinese patients with hea...Objective:Health literacy is closely associated with self-care behaviors in heart-failure patient.A reliable,valid,and practical measuring tool would evaluated the level of health literacy in Chinese patients with heart failure,and provide evidence for individualized education.Aim of this study was to translate Heart Failure-Specific Health Literacy Scale(HF-Specific HL Scale)into Chinese and test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version.Methods:The original HF-specific HL scale was translated into Chinese and modified for cultural adaption.Totally 164 HF inpatients were investigated with the Chinese version of HF-specific HL scale.To test the reliability and validity of the scale,item analysis,exploratory factor analysis(EFA),confirmatory factor analysis(CFA),and correlation analysis were conducted.Result:Cronbach's a value for the scale is 0.87;the correlation coefficients between each item and the total score ranged from 0.61 to 0.91.Three factors was extracted by EFA,which could explain 64.62%of the total variance.The result of CFA also showed that the scale demonstrated an acceptable model fit.The scale was significantly correlated with the Chinese version of the Heart Failure Knowledge Test(C-HFKT).Conclusion:The Chinese version of HF-specific HL scale is reliable and valid,and is suitable for assessment of HL in Chinese HF patients.展开更多
Objective:The aim of this study was to summarize the evidence of health literacy and health outcomes in hypertensive patients.Methods:Articles published in English were searched from six databases:MEDLINE,CINAHL,Embas...Objective:The aim of this study was to summarize the evidence of health literacy and health outcomes in hypertensive patients.Methods:Articles published in English were searched from six databases:MEDLINE,CINAHL,Embase,ERIC,psycINFO,and SCOPUS.The articles published up to September 2017 were included.Results:Nineteen publications were included in the review.There was quality and consistent evidence that hypertensive patients with lower literacy had poorer knowledge.There was inconsistent evidence to show the relationship between health literacy and clinical outcomes,of systolic and diastolic blood pressure,and blood pressure control;behavioral outcomes,of self-care,self-efficacy,adherence;patientphysician interactions outcomes,of patient-physician communication,patient trust,involvement in decision making and other outcomes.Conclusion:The person with low health literacy is likely to have poor knowledge of hypertension.However,there is insufficient evidence to suggest that health literacy is associated with outcomes of hypertension independently.展开更多
Health literacy (HL) is essential to access, comprehend, assess and use health data allowing patients to make better health and quality of life decisions. To assess the health literacy level of hemodialysis Egyptian p...Health literacy (HL) is essential to access, comprehend, assess and use health data allowing patients to make better health and quality of life decisions. To assess the health literacy level of hemodialysis Egyptian patients, a cross-sectional study from March to September 2020 was conducted at 4 hemodialysis (HD) units on 439 patients. A translated questionnaire including demographic characteristics and health literacy components was conducted. This study adapted Nutbeam’s model incorporating critical health literacy, interactive health literacy, and functional health literacy. Health literacy of hemodialysis patients was satisfactory among 35.5% of the studied patients. The average total score of health literacy questionnaire was (15.53 ± 4.32) distributed as (2.90 ± 1.26) for functional literacy, (3.10 ± 1.26) for basic health knowledge, (1.65 ± 1.21) for communicative literacy, (2.53 ± 0.70) for interactive literacy, (1.75 ± 1.30) for advanced health knowledge, (1.74 ± 0.48) for critical literacy, and (1.83 ± 0.93) for patient safety. It was found that poor health literacy was associated with low income (OR = 2.54, CI 95%: 1.66_3.89, <i>p</i> < 0.001), of increasing age (OR = 0.12 CI 95%: 0.07_0.19, <i>p</i> < 0.001), low education (OR = 1.08, CI 95%: 1.04_1.11, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and the patient did not undergo kidney transplant (OR = 4.19 CI 95%: 1.12_15.62, <i>p</i> = 0.033). There was a prevalent low health literacy among the studied regular hemodialysis patients which was affected by education, age and income and in turn it affected the adherence to treatment. Understanding the linkage between HL and self-care attitudes should enhance efforts to improve hemodialysis outcomes.展开更多
Mental health literacy(MHL)refers to knowledge and attitudes that shape the recognition,management,and prevention of mental disorders.While the topic has been exhaustively researched in Western countries,research from...Mental health literacy(MHL)refers to knowledge and attitudes that shape the recognition,management,and prevention of mental disorders.While the topic has been exhaustively researched in Western countries,research from Southeast Asia still is limited.Previous studies in this field showed a moderate recognition of mental disorders,a high prevalence of stigmatizing attitudes and a low willingness to seek professional help among Southeastern-Asian populations.This study explored the level of MHL among university students from different parts of Vietnam and Cambodia.Correlations with influencing factors(gender,age,study year,educational attainment of the parents,urban/rural origin,ethnicity,personal experiences with mental disorders)were also explored.An online survey,using a 30-item Vietnamese version of the Mental Health Literacy Scale(MHLS),was conducted at six university sites in Vietnam and Cambodia.Data of 1032 students from different study branches were included.The MHL of Vietnamese and Cambodian university students was lower,compared to samples from Australia or the UK.Females and students with a personal experience of mental disorders(self or family)showed a significantly higher MHL.No differences in MHL were found between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds(professional attainment of parents,urban/rural origin).Findings on the influence of ethnicity were inconclusive.MHL needs to be improved among the university students of Vietnam and Cambodia.Mental health promotion should specifically target male students,students from STEM branches,and international students.展开更多
Objective:To investigate health literacy,behavioral and psychosocial characteristics in coronary artery patients.Methods:Between March 2019 and 2020 years,275 coronary artery patients aged≥50 years were included in t...Objective:To investigate health literacy,behavioral and psychosocial characteristics in coronary artery patients.Methods:Between March 2019 and 2020 years,275 coronary artery patients aged≥50 years were included in the study.Turkish Health Literacy Scale-32 and Beck Depression Inventory were used to collect the data.Results:General health literacy index score was 31.7 and the prevalence of limited health literacy was 59.3%.Adequate health literacy was 2.8 fold higher in the 50-64 age group,3.1 fold higher among men,3.4 fold higher among married and 5.3 fold higher among those who believed in the necessity of individual protective practices(P<0.05).Significant differences were also found in different working status,living places,perceived economic situation,perceived general health status,comorbidities,family history of coronary artery disease,angiography history,material skills on reading and understanding,level of depressive syptom,commitment to individual protective practices health check-ups,utilizing health services,cigarette and alcohol use,and exercise and nutrition between limited and adequate health literacy(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that adequate health literacy was significantly higher among younger patients(OR:2.81;95%CI:1.46-5.62),male gender(OR:3.10;95%CI:1.46-6.58),married(OR:3.42;95%CI:1.39-8.44)and those with belief in individual protective practices(OR:5.3;95%CI:1.93-14.96).Conclusions:Health literacy is poor among coronary artery patients and behavioral and psychosocial variables differ with health literacy levels.To keep cardiovascular health among these patients,health literacy-based interventions should be adopted in coronary artery clinics,especially for risky population.展开更多
Despite depression being a global mental health disorder,many people with depression do not seek psychiatric help.In particular,it has been reported that only 15.7%of medical students seek treatment.A longer duration ...Despite depression being a global mental health disorder,many people with depression do not seek psychiatric help.In particular,it has been reported that only 15.7%of medical students seek treatment.A longer duration of untreated illness(DUI)leads to clinically poor results.To shorten the DUI,the mental health literacy(MHL)with regard to depression needs to be improved,although it is unclear which MHL components will improve the help-seeking process.Additionally,the existing MHL scale for depression is poorly validated for structural validity.Therefore,the purpose of this study was to develop an MHL scale for depression with verified reliability and validity(particularly structural validity)and verify its relationship with the help-seeking process.For this purpose,we adapted the mixed research method.First,we conducted a systematic literature review on MHL scales for depression to prepare a draft scale with content validity.Second,we conducted semi-structured interviews on MHL with outpatients with depression.Consequently,78 questions on MHL for depression were extracted.Third,to develop our scale,we verified the reliability and validity of these questions with 782 health professional students.The sample size was 780 and data collection was performed by collective survey method.It was conducted in 2018 in Japan.To verify the factor structure,exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted.We also examined the internal consistency,test-retest reliability,and criterion-related validity.The exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure(recognition of depression symptoms,helpseeking preferences,and depression onset possibility)with 10 items.According to the confirmatory factor analysis results,the goodness of fit indicators had a good fit.The internal consistency,test-retest reliability,and criterion-related validity had good values.Fourth,the relationship between the MHL of depression and other factors affecting the help-seeking process was examined using structural equation modelling.The same sample size(as above)was applied.All three components of the MHL of depression influenced‘recognition of depression’.In particular,depression onset possibility had the greatest impact on the help-seeking process.Whereas,the MHL of depression had little or no influence on‘intention of consultation’and‘psychiatric consultation’(second and third steps of help-seeking).The largest influence on psychiatric consultation was the recommendation of consultation from others.The multiple correlation coefficients were the recognition of depression,R2=0.33;intention of consultation,R2=0.43;and psychiatric consultation,R2=0.36;and the model was a good fit.This study identified the specific components of the depression MHL that influence the help-seeking process.Subsequently,it is necessary to provide specific MHL education to health professional students,their families,university staff,and teachers.展开更多
Patient involvement in the health care process has been documented as a critical component of successful disease management. However, inadequate functional health literacy among patients is a well-known barrier to eff...Patient involvement in the health care process has been documented as a critical component of successful disease management. However, inadequate functional health literacy among patients is a well-known barrier to effective doctor-patient communication, which has an adverse effect on health outcomes. This study aimed at investigating the association of functional health literacy and doctor-patient communication among HIV/AIDS patients in Homa Bay County, Kenya. It was a cross-sectional hospital-based survey conducted among 362 HIV/AIDS patients receiving care at the eight sub-county hospitals of Homa Bay county. Data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analysis tests were used to ascertain the reliability and validity of study instruments, while Logistic regression logistic analysis was used to measure the association between functional health literacy and doctor-patient communication. 51% of the respondents were females, and the majority (30.9%) of respondents fell in the age group of 45 years and above. The respondents’ functional health literacy levels were inadequate at weighted means scores of 3.23 [SD 1.31]. The study further established that functional health literacy significantly influenced doctor-patient communication [Nagelkerke R square = 0.318]. There is, therefore, a need to document the determinants of functional health literacy to improve it and make doctor-patient interaction an enjoyable and meaningful experience.展开更多
Mental illness stigma is a social construct which involves labelling individuals with mental illness which in turn discredits and results in the loss of dignity of the individual,as well as causing the individual conc...Mental illness stigma is a social construct which involves labelling individuals with mental illness which in turn discredits and results in the loss of dignity of the individual,as well as causing the individual concerned to experience discrimination,marginalization,and isolation.Mental illness stigma can be influenced by various factors.Factors that can affect mental illness stigma are collectivist culture and mental health literacy.This study used quantitative methods with the aim to investigate the role of collectivist culture and mental health literacy in mental illness stigma.The subjects in this study were 160 undergraduate students at tertiary institutions in Indonesia.The instruments used in this study were the mental illness stigma scale,collectivist culture scale,and mental health literacy scale.The data analysis technique used in this study is multiple regression.The results of multiple regression tests showed a regression coefficient value of 0.239 and a coefficient of determination value of 0.057.The significance value of mental health literacy is 0.022(p<0.05)with a standardized beta coefficient of-0.189 and the significance value of collectivist culture is 0.232(p>0.05)with a standardized beta coefficient value of-0.098.These results indicate that both collectivist culture and mental health literacy simultaneously play a role in reducing the mental illness stigma of university students in Indonesia.Mental health literacy has a significant role in reducing mental illness stigma among university students in Indonesia,whereas collectivist culture does not have a significant role in reducing mental illness stigma.展开更多
The study aimed to examine age- and sex-specific associations between health literacy (HL) and healthy lifestyle characteristics. The cross-sectional study was conducted to examine a total 1348 Japanese participants (...The study aimed to examine age- and sex-specific associations between health literacy (HL) and healthy lifestyle characteristics. The cross-sectional study was conducted to examine a total 1348 Japanese participants (613 male and 735 female) who took the health check-up program in April 2013, at Tsumagoi Village, Japan. Information was collected by self-administered questionnaire on three communicative and two critical HL items, and healthy lifestyle characteristics listed in Bres-low’s seven health practices. In multivariate logistic analysis, high HL (≥18) was significantly asso-ciated with healthy lifestyle characteristics in both non-elderly (<65 years old) and elderly (≥65 years old) [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.40, 95% Confidence interval (CI) = 1.13 - 1.75 for non-elderly, OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.02 - 1.76 for elderly], as well as female participants (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.06 - 1.94), while the significance was borderline in male participants (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.96 - 1.88). Among 5 HL items, the ability to extract health-related information was significantly associated with healthy lifestyle characteristics (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.11 - 2.07 for non-elderly, OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.04 - 2.30 for elderly, OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.28 - 2.97 for female participants. HDL-C concentration in the high HL group was significantly higher than that in the low HL group. Among healthy lifestyle characteristics, proportions of smoking behavior (non-smoker), exercise frequency (twice or more per week), and sleep duration (7 - 8 hours) were significantly higher in the high HL group than in the low HL group. The present study revealed a positive association between HL and healthy lifestyle characteristics, which suggests that people are likely to engage in health-promoting behaviours based on access and ability to understand medical information for both age groups and female participants. Significant findings among female participants may be emphasized since it’s important from the entire family's perspective as women are the caretakers of the family. These findings may indicate the importance of comprehensive assessment, including HL, for health promotion in the community.展开更多
The argument of this study is that social capital is a key factor of health literacy. Data came from an island-wide sample. Position generator was adopted to measure social capital. A regression model is constructed t...The argument of this study is that social capital is a key factor of health literacy. Data came from an island-wide sample. Position generator was adopted to measure social capital. A regression model is constructed to test the social capital which is known as a robust predictor of health literacy after controlling gender, age, education, income, and health communication ability. The results reveal that female, higher education, and better health communication ability are also correlated with health literacy. Implications for public health are discussed.展开更多
Context: This study set out to investigate the mental health literacy (MHL) about eight anxiety disorders (ADs), using vignette methodology. Methods: In all 317 British Adult participants completed a questionnaire wit...Context: This study set out to investigate the mental health literacy (MHL) about eight anxiety disorders (ADs), using vignette methodology. Methods: In all 317 British Adult participants completed a questionnaire with vignettes describing eight anxiety disorders including OCD, PTSD, Agoraphobia, Specific Phobias, Social Phobia, Separation Anxiety Disorder, GAD and Panic Disorder. Recognition, beliefs about treatments and perceived life adjustment (happiness, success at work) of specific people with these disorders were assessed. Results: Literacy levels varied across anxiety disorders, with high recognition of OCD (64.67%), but very poor for panic disorder (1.26%), GAD (2.84%) and separation anxiety disorder (5.99%). There were few significant effects of vignette gender on literacy levels. MHL for most anxiety disorders was relatively low;particularly panic disorder, GAD and separation anxiety disorder. Social Phobics were judged as least happy and adjusted and agoraphobics least successful at work and would benefit most from psychological help. Conclusions: Overall recognition of the anxiety disorders was poor. Beliefs about adjustment and treatment varied widely as a function of each disorder. Implications of the research for education of the public and limitations of this research are considered.展开更多
AIM To determine the relationship between chronic kidney disease(CKD) awareness(CKD-A), self-management behaviors(CKD-SMB) knowledge, performance of CKDSMBs, health literacy(HL) and kidney function. METHODS Participan...AIM To determine the relationship between chronic kidney disease(CKD) awareness(CKD-A), self-management behaviors(CKD-SMB) knowledge, performance of CKDSMBs, health literacy(HL) and kidney function. METHODS Participants were eligible patients attending an outpatient nephrology clinic. Participants were administered: Newest Vital Sign to measure HL, CKD self-managementknowledge tool(CKD-SMKT) to assess knowledge, past performance of CKD-SMB, CKD-A. Estimated GFR(e GFR) was determined using the MDRD-4 equation. Duration of clinic participation and CKD cause were extracted from medical charts. RESULTS One-hundred-fifty patients participated in the study. e GFRs ranged from 17-152 m L/min per 1.73 m2. Majority(83%) of respondents had stage 3 or 4 CKD, low HL(63%), and were CKD aware(88%). Approximately 40%(10/25) of patients in stages 1 and 2 and 6.4%(8/125) in stages 3 and 4 were unaware of their CKD. CKD-A differed with stage(P < 0.001) but not by HL level, duration of clinic participation, or CKD cause. Majority of respondents(≥ 90%) correctly answered one or more CKD-SMKT items. Knowledge of one behavior, "controlling blood pressure" differed significantly by CKD-A. CKD-A was associated with past performance of two CKD-SMBs, "controlling blood pressure"(P = 0.02), and "keeping healthy body weight"(P = 0.01). Adjusted multivariate analyses between CKD-A and:(1) HL; and(2) CKD-SMB knowledge were nonsignificant. However, there was a significant relationship between CKD-A and kidney function after controlling for demographics, HL, and CKD-SMB(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION CKD-A is not associated with HL, or better CKD-SMBs. CKD-A is significantly associated with kidney function and substantially lower e GFR, suggesting the need for focused patient education in CKD stages 1.展开更多
Purpose: The review aimed to find the best evidence on the relationship between health literacy, self-care behavior and perceived quality of life (QoL) among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: Searc...Purpose: The review aimed to find the best evidence on the relationship between health literacy, self-care behavior and perceived quality of life (QoL) among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: Searching engines included Cumulative Index to Nursing Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Pro Quest, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, SAGE Journals, Wiley on Line Library, and Science Direct electronic databases from 2010 to 2018. Fifteen research articles assessed the main variables and their associations with demographic and clinical variables. Results: Different methodologies and samples were analyzed: analytic descriptive, systematic review, a randomized control trial, retrospective cohort, a prospective Cohort, cross-sectional, and correlational designs. The fifteen studies showed that the patients with ACS have inadequate health literacy. Patients’ ability to understand basic and complex information or to accurately assess health risks was impaired and may hinder patients’ engagement in self-care. Low HL in patients having ACS is consistently associated with poor QoL. Physical domain of QoL remained the significant outcome of both self-care behavior and health literacy after adjusting for demographics and clinical variables in patients with ACS. Conclusion: The literature pointed to the importance of considering health literacy and self-care behaviors as predictors of quality of life among patients with ACS. However, there has been no previous evidence on the best process of the association between these three variables.展开更多
Health literacy is the capacity of an individual to understand information related to a disease in order to make an informed decision. In patients with kidney diseases, studies have reported increasing impact of limit...Health literacy is the capacity of an individual to understand information related to a disease in order to make an informed decision. In patients with kidney diseases, studies have reported increasing impact of limited health literacy on health outcomes. Our paper discusses current literature on health literacy in kidney diseases.展开更多
Poor health literacy (HL) is a risk factor for developing metabolic syndrome. In Malaysia, about 93% of adults’ population has limited HL—a huge prevalence yet understudied phenomenon. This study aims to determine t...Poor health literacy (HL) is a risk factor for developing metabolic syndrome. In Malaysia, about 93% of adults’ population has limited HL—a huge prevalence yet understudied phenomenon. This study aims to determine the predictors of preventive lifestyles on metabolic syndrome among adult population in Sarawak are timely. This was a population-based study, conducted from September 2016 till December 2017 using a multistage stratified sampling method. Health Literacy Scale and Simple Lifestyle Indicator Questionnaire were used to measure health literacy and preventive lifestyles respectively. Analysis of Variance and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. A total of 743 respondents were involved in this study with half of them have acceptable score for health literacy (M = 46.9, SD = 6.3) and good preventive lifestyles (M = 7.3, SD = 1.4). Critical health literacy was a significant influence of preventive lifestyles. The Malay ethnic group has the highest scores for both critical health literacy [F (3, 739) = 17.82, p p = 0.025]. The other Native groups scored the lowest for critical health literacy. Individual with higher score of critical health literacy tend to perform physical activities. Gender, education level, distance of health facilities, critical health literacy and employment status were identified as predictors for preventive lifestyle in this study. Health literacy is a key to preventive lifestyle behaviors in metabolic syndrome among adult population in Sarawak. Future program should focus on improving HL status with specific program targeting ethnic minorities.展开更多
基金supported by the Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project of Henan Province(2020BSH015).
文摘This study investigates mental health literacy among young and middle-aged urban and rural residents and the differences in mental health literacy,perceived social support and subjective well-being.From January to February 2022,620 participants(320 rural and 300 urban residents)from three provinces of China were selected by con-venience sampling.A general data questionnaire,mental health literacy scale,perceived social support scale and subjective well-being scale were administered.The mental health literacy scores of urban residents were 3.34±0.57 and those of rural residents were 2.73±0.79.The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the mental health literacy scores of rural residents were more significant than those of urban residents in terms of sex and age,while urban residents’mental health literacy scores were more significant than those of rural resi-dents in terms of monthly income.Mental health literacy,perceived social support and subjective well-being of young and middle-aged urban and rural residents were all positively correlated(P<0.01).While the level of mental health literacy is better among urban residents than rural residents,perceived social support plays a partial mediating role between mental health literacy and subjective well-being of both urban and rural residents,and should be the focus of researchers seeking to improve the level of well-being of residents.
基金supported by the Dongguk University Research Fund of 2021.
文摘Background:The occurrence of mental health symptoms is higher in individuals aged between 18 and 24 years than in other age groups.Mental health literacy is derived from health literacy,and focuses on the knowledge,attitudes,and competencies that individuals need to acquire to manage their own health effectively.Low mental health literacy is associated with poorer mental health.Grit is also a known protective factor against mental disorders.Despite a heightened focus on mental health literacy and grit as important factors for decreasing mental health symptoms,knowledge of the effect of mental health literacy and grit on mental health symptoms is very limited.This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between mental health literacy and psychological symptoms and the mediating effect of grit on these relationships.Methods:This cross-sectional descriptive study used survey data from 178 university students in Korea.Data were collected between March and May 2022.The SPSS PROCESS macro(Model 4)was used to analyze the data.Results:Mental health literacy was not directly associated with psychological symptoms.However,an indirect pathway was observed between mental health literacy,depression,and anxiety,through grit.Conclusion:Mental health literacy affects psychological symptoms through grit.Therefore,to improve the mental health of university students,it is necessary to develop programs that increase mental health literacy and grit.
基金This research is supported by the Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education’s Fundamental Research Grant Scheme(FRGS)[FRGS/1/2019/SS09/MMU/02/3]MMUE/190073 led by the second author.
文摘The prevalence of mental health problems in both Malaysian and global workplaces has significantly increased due to the presence of the coronavirus disease(COVID-19)pandemic,globalization,technology advancement in Industry 4.0,and other contributing factors.The pervasiveness of the issue poses a huge challenge to improving the occupational safety and health(OSH)of workers in various industries,especially in the digital industry.The emergence of the innovative industry is evident mainly due to the rapid development of Industry 4.0 and the rele-vant demands of multiple businesses in the digital transformation.Nonetheless,limited studies and academic dis-cussions were conducted on the OSH topic of digital employees.Hence,the current study serves tofill the existing gap and provide academic contributions by scrutinising the perceptions of digital workers regarding their work-place well-being,mental health literacy,and the impression of employing e-mental health.The objectives of this study are:1)To examine the mental health literacy and workplace wellness of digital workers,2)to explore the e-mental health usage intention and actual e-mental health utilization,and 3)to identify digital workers’feedback on e-mental health.In the current context,e-mental health focuses on three dimensions,namely,1)“health in our hand(HIOH)”,2)“interacting for health(IFH)”,and 3)“data enabling health(DEH)”.The present study employed an online cross-sectional survey and received 326 digital workers’completed responses.Variables,such as“mental health literacy(MHL)”,“workplace wellness(WW)”,and e-mental health intention and usage were explicated by analysing the data through descriptive statistics.The study results indicated a moderate to a high level of the MHL and the WW.More than half of the workers possessed a high intention level to employ e-mental health,with the HIOH dimension being the most prevalent domain.Nevertheless,the actual e-mental health usage was very low,owing to the online resources being a new concept amongst digital employees.Numerous confounding factors also existed in affecting the low usage,such as privacy concerns,data security levels,and health verification issues.In addition,the mental health issue has not been openly and widely discussed in Malay-sian workplaces due to stigmatisation.As such,the currentfindings could provide additional insights into the OSH literature;it could serve as a guideline for the OSH decision-makers,employers,and eHealth developers when establishing a feasible framework for the practical adoption of e-mental health services by digital workers.
文摘Background:To systematically evaluate the measurement performance of the maternal and child health literacy scale and the study’s methodological quality and to provide a reference for selecting and developing related health outcome measurement tools.Methods:Databases such as CNKI,PubMed,and Embase were searched,and the search time frame was established until January 2023.The literature was independently screened by two researchers.The methodological quality and measurement performance of the included scales were evaluated using the health measurement tool selection criteria,and the evaluation results were summarized and analyzed using descriptive analysis.Results:A total of six papers were included,covering six specific scales,with significant differences in the methodological quality and measurement performance of their development studies,none of which evaluated hypothesis testing,the validity of scales,cross-cultural validity,measurement error,or responsiveness.Conclusion:The methodological quality and scale measurement performance of the maternal health literacy inventory in pregnancy,the women’s reproductive health literacy in pregnancy questionnaire,and the maternal and infant health literacy scale development studies are relatively high,but the number of studies on maternal and infant health literacy specific scales is relatively insufficient,and more studies should be conducted in the future.
基金The authors would like to thank Shiho Matsuoka,who offer the English version of HF-specific HL scale.The authors also thank the medical staff in Tianjin People's Hospital,Tianjin Union Medical Center,and Tianjin First Center Hospital.
文摘Objective:Health literacy is closely associated with self-care behaviors in heart-failure patient.A reliable,valid,and practical measuring tool would evaluated the level of health literacy in Chinese patients with heart failure,and provide evidence for individualized education.Aim of this study was to translate Heart Failure-Specific Health Literacy Scale(HF-Specific HL Scale)into Chinese and test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version.Methods:The original HF-specific HL scale was translated into Chinese and modified for cultural adaption.Totally 164 HF inpatients were investigated with the Chinese version of HF-specific HL scale.To test the reliability and validity of the scale,item analysis,exploratory factor analysis(EFA),confirmatory factor analysis(CFA),and correlation analysis were conducted.Result:Cronbach's a value for the scale is 0.87;the correlation coefficients between each item and the total score ranged from 0.61 to 0.91.Three factors was extracted by EFA,which could explain 64.62%of the total variance.The result of CFA also showed that the scale demonstrated an acceptable model fit.The scale was significantly correlated with the Chinese version of the Heart Failure Knowledge Test(C-HFKT).Conclusion:The Chinese version of HF-specific HL scale is reliable and valid,and is suitable for assessment of HL in Chinese HF patients.
基金The work was supported by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Hebei(No.20150485)in China.
文摘Objective:The aim of this study was to summarize the evidence of health literacy and health outcomes in hypertensive patients.Methods:Articles published in English were searched from six databases:MEDLINE,CINAHL,Embase,ERIC,psycINFO,and SCOPUS.The articles published up to September 2017 were included.Results:Nineteen publications were included in the review.There was quality and consistent evidence that hypertensive patients with lower literacy had poorer knowledge.There was inconsistent evidence to show the relationship between health literacy and clinical outcomes,of systolic and diastolic blood pressure,and blood pressure control;behavioral outcomes,of self-care,self-efficacy,adherence;patientphysician interactions outcomes,of patient-physician communication,patient trust,involvement in decision making and other outcomes.Conclusion:The person with low health literacy is likely to have poor knowledge of hypertension.However,there is insufficient evidence to suggest that health literacy is associated with outcomes of hypertension independently.
文摘Health literacy (HL) is essential to access, comprehend, assess and use health data allowing patients to make better health and quality of life decisions. To assess the health literacy level of hemodialysis Egyptian patients, a cross-sectional study from March to September 2020 was conducted at 4 hemodialysis (HD) units on 439 patients. A translated questionnaire including demographic characteristics and health literacy components was conducted. This study adapted Nutbeam’s model incorporating critical health literacy, interactive health literacy, and functional health literacy. Health literacy of hemodialysis patients was satisfactory among 35.5% of the studied patients. The average total score of health literacy questionnaire was (15.53 ± 4.32) distributed as (2.90 ± 1.26) for functional literacy, (3.10 ± 1.26) for basic health knowledge, (1.65 ± 1.21) for communicative literacy, (2.53 ± 0.70) for interactive literacy, (1.75 ± 1.30) for advanced health knowledge, (1.74 ± 0.48) for critical literacy, and (1.83 ± 0.93) for patient safety. It was found that poor health literacy was associated with low income (OR = 2.54, CI 95%: 1.66_3.89, <i>p</i> < 0.001), of increasing age (OR = 0.12 CI 95%: 0.07_0.19, <i>p</i> < 0.001), low education (OR = 1.08, CI 95%: 1.04_1.11, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and the patient did not undergo kidney transplant (OR = 4.19 CI 95%: 1.12_15.62, <i>p</i> = 0.033). There was a prevalent low health literacy among the studied regular hemodialysis patients which was affected by education, age and income and in turn it affected the adherence to treatment. Understanding the linkage between HL and self-care attitudes should enhance efforts to improve hemodialysis outcomes.
文摘Mental health literacy(MHL)refers to knowledge and attitudes that shape the recognition,management,and prevention of mental disorders.While the topic has been exhaustively researched in Western countries,research from Southeast Asia still is limited.Previous studies in this field showed a moderate recognition of mental disorders,a high prevalence of stigmatizing attitudes and a low willingness to seek professional help among Southeastern-Asian populations.This study explored the level of MHL among university students from different parts of Vietnam and Cambodia.Correlations with influencing factors(gender,age,study year,educational attainment of the parents,urban/rural origin,ethnicity,personal experiences with mental disorders)were also explored.An online survey,using a 30-item Vietnamese version of the Mental Health Literacy Scale(MHLS),was conducted at six university sites in Vietnam and Cambodia.Data of 1032 students from different study branches were included.The MHL of Vietnamese and Cambodian university students was lower,compared to samples from Australia or the UK.Females and students with a personal experience of mental disorders(self or family)showed a significantly higher MHL.No differences in MHL were found between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds(professional attainment of parents,urban/rural origin).Findings on the influence of ethnicity were inconclusive.MHL needs to be improved among the university students of Vietnam and Cambodia.Mental health promotion should specifically target male students,students from STEM branches,and international students.
文摘Objective:To investigate health literacy,behavioral and psychosocial characteristics in coronary artery patients.Methods:Between March 2019 and 2020 years,275 coronary artery patients aged≥50 years were included in the study.Turkish Health Literacy Scale-32 and Beck Depression Inventory were used to collect the data.Results:General health literacy index score was 31.7 and the prevalence of limited health literacy was 59.3%.Adequate health literacy was 2.8 fold higher in the 50-64 age group,3.1 fold higher among men,3.4 fold higher among married and 5.3 fold higher among those who believed in the necessity of individual protective practices(P<0.05).Significant differences were also found in different working status,living places,perceived economic situation,perceived general health status,comorbidities,family history of coronary artery disease,angiography history,material skills on reading and understanding,level of depressive syptom,commitment to individual protective practices health check-ups,utilizing health services,cigarette and alcohol use,and exercise and nutrition between limited and adequate health literacy(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that adequate health literacy was significantly higher among younger patients(OR:2.81;95%CI:1.46-5.62),male gender(OR:3.10;95%CI:1.46-6.58),married(OR:3.42;95%CI:1.39-8.44)and those with belief in individual protective practices(OR:5.3;95%CI:1.93-14.96).Conclusions:Health literacy is poor among coronary artery patients and behavioral and psychosocial variables differ with health literacy levels.To keep cardiovascular health among these patients,health literacy-based interventions should be adopted in coronary artery clinics,especially for risky population.
文摘Despite depression being a global mental health disorder,many people with depression do not seek psychiatric help.In particular,it has been reported that only 15.7%of medical students seek treatment.A longer duration of untreated illness(DUI)leads to clinically poor results.To shorten the DUI,the mental health literacy(MHL)with regard to depression needs to be improved,although it is unclear which MHL components will improve the help-seeking process.Additionally,the existing MHL scale for depression is poorly validated for structural validity.Therefore,the purpose of this study was to develop an MHL scale for depression with verified reliability and validity(particularly structural validity)and verify its relationship with the help-seeking process.For this purpose,we adapted the mixed research method.First,we conducted a systematic literature review on MHL scales for depression to prepare a draft scale with content validity.Second,we conducted semi-structured interviews on MHL with outpatients with depression.Consequently,78 questions on MHL for depression were extracted.Third,to develop our scale,we verified the reliability and validity of these questions with 782 health professional students.The sample size was 780 and data collection was performed by collective survey method.It was conducted in 2018 in Japan.To verify the factor structure,exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted.We also examined the internal consistency,test-retest reliability,and criterion-related validity.The exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure(recognition of depression symptoms,helpseeking preferences,and depression onset possibility)with 10 items.According to the confirmatory factor analysis results,the goodness of fit indicators had a good fit.The internal consistency,test-retest reliability,and criterion-related validity had good values.Fourth,the relationship between the MHL of depression and other factors affecting the help-seeking process was examined using structural equation modelling.The same sample size(as above)was applied.All three components of the MHL of depression influenced‘recognition of depression’.In particular,depression onset possibility had the greatest impact on the help-seeking process.Whereas,the MHL of depression had little or no influence on‘intention of consultation’and‘psychiatric consultation’(second and third steps of help-seeking).The largest influence on psychiatric consultation was the recommendation of consultation from others.The multiple correlation coefficients were the recognition of depression,R2=0.33;intention of consultation,R2=0.43;and psychiatric consultation,R2=0.36;and the model was a good fit.This study identified the specific components of the depression MHL that influence the help-seeking process.Subsequently,it is necessary to provide specific MHL education to health professional students,their families,university staff,and teachers.
文摘Patient involvement in the health care process has been documented as a critical component of successful disease management. However, inadequate functional health literacy among patients is a well-known barrier to effective doctor-patient communication, which has an adverse effect on health outcomes. This study aimed at investigating the association of functional health literacy and doctor-patient communication among HIV/AIDS patients in Homa Bay County, Kenya. It was a cross-sectional hospital-based survey conducted among 362 HIV/AIDS patients receiving care at the eight sub-county hospitals of Homa Bay county. Data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analysis tests were used to ascertain the reliability and validity of study instruments, while Logistic regression logistic analysis was used to measure the association between functional health literacy and doctor-patient communication. 51% of the respondents were females, and the majority (30.9%) of respondents fell in the age group of 45 years and above. The respondents’ functional health literacy levels were inadequate at weighted means scores of 3.23 [SD 1.31]. The study further established that functional health literacy significantly influenced doctor-patient communication [Nagelkerke R square = 0.318]. There is, therefore, a need to document the determinants of functional health literacy to improve it and make doctor-patient interaction an enjoyable and meaningful experience.
文摘Mental illness stigma is a social construct which involves labelling individuals with mental illness which in turn discredits and results in the loss of dignity of the individual,as well as causing the individual concerned to experience discrimination,marginalization,and isolation.Mental illness stigma can be influenced by various factors.Factors that can affect mental illness stigma are collectivist culture and mental health literacy.This study used quantitative methods with the aim to investigate the role of collectivist culture and mental health literacy in mental illness stigma.The subjects in this study were 160 undergraduate students at tertiary institutions in Indonesia.The instruments used in this study were the mental illness stigma scale,collectivist culture scale,and mental health literacy scale.The data analysis technique used in this study is multiple regression.The results of multiple regression tests showed a regression coefficient value of 0.239 and a coefficient of determination value of 0.057.The significance value of mental health literacy is 0.022(p<0.05)with a standardized beta coefficient of-0.189 and the significance value of collectivist culture is 0.232(p>0.05)with a standardized beta coefficient value of-0.098.These results indicate that both collectivist culture and mental health literacy simultaneously play a role in reducing the mental illness stigma of university students in Indonesia.Mental health literacy has a significant role in reducing mental illness stigma among university students in Indonesia,whereas collectivist culture does not have a significant role in reducing mental illness stigma.
文摘The study aimed to examine age- and sex-specific associations between health literacy (HL) and healthy lifestyle characteristics. The cross-sectional study was conducted to examine a total 1348 Japanese participants (613 male and 735 female) who took the health check-up program in April 2013, at Tsumagoi Village, Japan. Information was collected by self-administered questionnaire on three communicative and two critical HL items, and healthy lifestyle characteristics listed in Bres-low’s seven health practices. In multivariate logistic analysis, high HL (≥18) was significantly asso-ciated with healthy lifestyle characteristics in both non-elderly (<65 years old) and elderly (≥65 years old) [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.40, 95% Confidence interval (CI) = 1.13 - 1.75 for non-elderly, OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.02 - 1.76 for elderly], as well as female participants (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.06 - 1.94), while the significance was borderline in male participants (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.96 - 1.88). Among 5 HL items, the ability to extract health-related information was significantly associated with healthy lifestyle characteristics (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.11 - 2.07 for non-elderly, OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.04 - 2.30 for elderly, OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.28 - 2.97 for female participants. HDL-C concentration in the high HL group was significantly higher than that in the low HL group. Among healthy lifestyle characteristics, proportions of smoking behavior (non-smoker), exercise frequency (twice or more per week), and sleep duration (7 - 8 hours) were significantly higher in the high HL group than in the low HL group. The present study revealed a positive association between HL and healthy lifestyle characteristics, which suggests that people are likely to engage in health-promoting behaviours based on access and ability to understand medical information for both age groups and female participants. Significant findings among female participants may be emphasized since it’s important from the entire family's perspective as women are the caretakers of the family. These findings may indicate the importance of comprehensive assessment, including HL, for health promotion in the community.
文摘The argument of this study is that social capital is a key factor of health literacy. Data came from an island-wide sample. Position generator was adopted to measure social capital. A regression model is constructed to test the social capital which is known as a robust predictor of health literacy after controlling gender, age, education, income, and health communication ability. The results reveal that female, higher education, and better health communication ability are also correlated with health literacy. Implications for public health are discussed.
文摘Context: This study set out to investigate the mental health literacy (MHL) about eight anxiety disorders (ADs), using vignette methodology. Methods: In all 317 British Adult participants completed a questionnaire with vignettes describing eight anxiety disorders including OCD, PTSD, Agoraphobia, Specific Phobias, Social Phobia, Separation Anxiety Disorder, GAD and Panic Disorder. Recognition, beliefs about treatments and perceived life adjustment (happiness, success at work) of specific people with these disorders were assessed. Results: Literacy levels varied across anxiety disorders, with high recognition of OCD (64.67%), but very poor for panic disorder (1.26%), GAD (2.84%) and separation anxiety disorder (5.99%). There were few significant effects of vignette gender on literacy levels. MHL for most anxiety disorders was relatively low;particularly panic disorder, GAD and separation anxiety disorder. Social Phobics were judged as least happy and adjusted and agoraphobics least successful at work and would benefit most from psychological help. Conclusions: Overall recognition of the anxiety disorders was poor. Beliefs about adjustment and treatment varied widely as a function of each disorder. Implications of the research for education of the public and limitations of this research are considered.
文摘AIM To determine the relationship between chronic kidney disease(CKD) awareness(CKD-A), self-management behaviors(CKD-SMB) knowledge, performance of CKDSMBs, health literacy(HL) and kidney function. METHODS Participants were eligible patients attending an outpatient nephrology clinic. Participants were administered: Newest Vital Sign to measure HL, CKD self-managementknowledge tool(CKD-SMKT) to assess knowledge, past performance of CKD-SMB, CKD-A. Estimated GFR(e GFR) was determined using the MDRD-4 equation. Duration of clinic participation and CKD cause were extracted from medical charts. RESULTS One-hundred-fifty patients participated in the study. e GFRs ranged from 17-152 m L/min per 1.73 m2. Majority(83%) of respondents had stage 3 or 4 CKD, low HL(63%), and were CKD aware(88%). Approximately 40%(10/25) of patients in stages 1 and 2 and 6.4%(8/125) in stages 3 and 4 were unaware of their CKD. CKD-A differed with stage(P < 0.001) but not by HL level, duration of clinic participation, or CKD cause. Majority of respondents(≥ 90%) correctly answered one or more CKD-SMKT items. Knowledge of one behavior, "controlling blood pressure" differed significantly by CKD-A. CKD-A was associated with past performance of two CKD-SMBs, "controlling blood pressure"(P = 0.02), and "keeping healthy body weight"(P = 0.01). Adjusted multivariate analyses between CKD-A and:(1) HL; and(2) CKD-SMB knowledge were nonsignificant. However, there was a significant relationship between CKD-A and kidney function after controlling for demographics, HL, and CKD-SMB(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION CKD-A is not associated with HL, or better CKD-SMBs. CKD-A is significantly associated with kidney function and substantially lower e GFR, suggesting the need for focused patient education in CKD stages 1.
文摘Purpose: The review aimed to find the best evidence on the relationship between health literacy, self-care behavior and perceived quality of life (QoL) among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: Searching engines included Cumulative Index to Nursing Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Pro Quest, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, SAGE Journals, Wiley on Line Library, and Science Direct electronic databases from 2010 to 2018. Fifteen research articles assessed the main variables and their associations with demographic and clinical variables. Results: Different methodologies and samples were analyzed: analytic descriptive, systematic review, a randomized control trial, retrospective cohort, a prospective Cohort, cross-sectional, and correlational designs. The fifteen studies showed that the patients with ACS have inadequate health literacy. Patients’ ability to understand basic and complex information or to accurately assess health risks was impaired and may hinder patients’ engagement in self-care. Low HL in patients having ACS is consistently associated with poor QoL. Physical domain of QoL remained the significant outcome of both self-care behavior and health literacy after adjusting for demographics and clinical variables in patients with ACS. Conclusion: The literature pointed to the importance of considering health literacy and self-care behaviors as predictors of quality of life among patients with ACS. However, there has been no previous evidence on the best process of the association between these three variables.
文摘Health literacy is the capacity of an individual to understand information related to a disease in order to make an informed decision. In patients with kidney diseases, studies have reported increasing impact of limited health literacy on health outcomes. Our paper discusses current literature on health literacy in kidney diseases.
文摘Poor health literacy (HL) is a risk factor for developing metabolic syndrome. In Malaysia, about 93% of adults’ population has limited HL—a huge prevalence yet understudied phenomenon. This study aims to determine the predictors of preventive lifestyles on metabolic syndrome among adult population in Sarawak are timely. This was a population-based study, conducted from September 2016 till December 2017 using a multistage stratified sampling method. Health Literacy Scale and Simple Lifestyle Indicator Questionnaire were used to measure health literacy and preventive lifestyles respectively. Analysis of Variance and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. A total of 743 respondents were involved in this study with half of them have acceptable score for health literacy (M = 46.9, SD = 6.3) and good preventive lifestyles (M = 7.3, SD = 1.4). Critical health literacy was a significant influence of preventive lifestyles. The Malay ethnic group has the highest scores for both critical health literacy [F (3, 739) = 17.82, p p = 0.025]. The other Native groups scored the lowest for critical health literacy. Individual with higher score of critical health literacy tend to perform physical activities. Gender, education level, distance of health facilities, critical health literacy and employment status were identified as predictors for preventive lifestyle in this study. Health literacy is a key to preventive lifestyle behaviors in metabolic syndrome among adult population in Sarawak. Future program should focus on improving HL status with specific program targeting ethnic minorities.
