Psychometric properties of health literacy measure for adolescents (HELMA) and predictors of health literacy among youth from Malaysia and Sri Lanka
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36681/tused.2022.170Keywords:
Health literacy, youth , medical students , HELMA toolAbstract
Health literacy is critical for individual empowerment because it affects how people obtain health information and use it in ways that benefit their health. Healthcare practitioners frequently lack adequate training in health literacy principles. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Health Literacy Measure for Adolescents (HELMA) instrument to assess health literacy and the predictors of health literacy among youth from Malaysia and Sri Lanka studying at a medical institution. Following ethics clearance, students aged between 18–24 years enrolled in semesters I through V were approached. Following informed consent, using
convenience sampling/complete enumeration, i.e., all students were invited to participate. Overall, 315 participants provided complete data. Cronbach’s alpha for the HELMA instrument was 0.74. Based on factor loading, Access, Reading, and self-efficacy were combined under the sub-domain ‘Approach.’ Health literacy was highest in the domain of ‘Numeracy’ followed by ‘Understanding’ and ‘Approach’. Lower health literacy was observed among younger students and those in lower semesters while having a health worker in the family significantly improved health literacy among participants. Our findings support the use of the HELMA instrument to assess
youth health literacy.
Downloads
References
Attygalle, U. R., Perera, H., & Jayamanne, B. D. W. (2017). Mental health literacy in adolescents: Ability to recognise problems, helpful interventions and outcomes. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 11(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/S13034-017-0176-1/TABLES/2
Blom, I. M., Cohen, E. S., Eshuis, L. V., Woudstra, A. J., Snijder, M. B., Kunst, A. E., & Fransen, M. P. (2018). Ethnic differences in health literacy among young adults in Amsterdam. HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice, 2(4), 192-204. https://doi.org/10.3928/24748307-20180926-01
Bröder, J., Okan, O., Bauer, U., Bruland, D., Schlupp, S., Bollweg, T. M., Saboga-Nunes, L., Bond, E., Sørensen, K., Bitzer, E. M., Jordan, S., Domanska, O., Firnges, C., Carvalho, G. S., Bittlingmayer, U. H., Levin-Zamir, D., Pelikan, J., Sahrai, D., Lenz, A., Wahl, P., Thomas, M., Kessl, F., & Pinheiro, P. (2017). Health literacy in childhood and youth: A systematic review of definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 17(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12889-017-4267Y/TABLES/6
Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., & Rubin, G. J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: Rapid review of the evidence. The lancet, 395(10227), 912-920. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8
Budhathoki, S. S., Pokharel, P. K., Jha, N., Moselen, E., Dixon, R., Bhattachan, M., & Osborne, R. H. (2019). Health literacy of future healthcare professionals: A cross-sectional study among health sciences students in Nepal. International Health, 11(1), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihy090
Cafiero, M. (2013). Nurse practitioners’ knowledge, experience, and intention to use health literacy strategies in clinical practice. Journal of Health Communication, 18(1), 70–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2013.825665
Coleman, C. A. (2011). Teaching health care professionals about health literacy: A review of the literature. Nursing Outlook, 59(2), 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.OUTLOOK.2010.12.004
Dehghankar, L., Panahi, R., Kekefallah, L., Hosseini, N., & Hasannia, E. (2019). The study of health literacy and its related factors among female students at high schools in Qazvin. Journal of Health Literacy, 4(2), 18-26. https://doi.org/10.22038/jhl.2019.40390.1055
Denuwara, H. M. B. H., & Gunawardena, N. S. (2017). Level of health literacy and factors associated with it among school teachers in an education zone in Colombo, Sri Lanka. BMC Public Health, 17(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12889-017-4543-X
Diamond, C., Saintonge, S., August, P., & Azrack, A. (2011). The development of building wellness, a youth health literacy program. Journal of Health Communication, 16(Sup 3), 103–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2011.604385
Fernando, S. M., Deane, F. P., & McLeod, H. J. (2010). Sri Lankan doctors’ and medical undergraduates’ attitudes towards mental illness. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 45(7), 733–739. https://doi.org/10.1007/S00127-009-0113-6
Ghanbari, S., Ramezankhani, A., Montazeri, A., & Mehrabi, Y. (2016). Health Literacy Measure for Adolescents (HELMA): Development and psychometric properties. PLOS ONE, 11(2), e0149202. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0149202
Guo, S., Armstrong, R., Waters, E., Sathish, T., Alif, S. M., Browne, G. R., & Yu, X. (2018). Quality of health literacy instruments used in children and adolescents: A systematic review. BMJ Open, 8(6). https://doi.org/10.1136/BMJOPEN-2017-020080
Hanik, B., & Stellefson, M. (2011). E-Health literacy competencies among undergraduate health education students: A preliminary study. International Electronic Journal of Health Education, 14, 46–58.
Humaid, A. S., Anwar, L. S., Oussama, S. A., Anwar, L. T., Abderrahim, B. E., & Anita L. U. (2019). Determining students’ intention: The role of students’ attitude and science curriculum. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 16(3), 314-324. https://doi.org/10.12973/tused.10284a
Ickes MEd, M. J., Cottrell DEd, R., Ickes, M. J., & Cottrell, R. (2010). Health literacy in college students. 491–498. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481003599104
Jaafar, N., Perialathan, K., Krishnan, M., Juatan, N., Ahmad, M., Mien, T. Y. S., Salleh, K. Z., Isa, A., Mohamed, S. S., Hanit, N. H. A., Hasani, W. S. R., Mohamad, E. M. W., & Johari, M. Z. (2021). Malaysian health literacy: Scorecard performance from a national survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 5813.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115813
Juvinyà-Canal, D., Suñer-Soler, R., Porquet, A. B., Vernay, M., Blanchard, H., & Bertran-Noguer, C. (2020). Health literacy among health and social care university students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072273
Karimi, N., Saadat-Gharin, S., Tol, A., Sadeghi, R., Yaseri, M., & Mohebbi, B. (2019). A problem-based learning health literacy intervention program on improving health-promoting behaviors among girl students. Journal of education and health promotion, 8. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_476_19
Khajouei, R., & Salehi, F. (2017). Health literacy among Iranian high school students. American Journal of Health Behavior, 41(2), 215–222. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.41.2.13
Lamanauskas, V., & Augienė, D. (2019). Identifying primary school teachers` health literacy. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 16(4), 451-466. https://doi.org/10.36681/tused.2020.0
Mackert, M., Ball, J., & Lopez, N. (2011). Health literacy awareness training for healthcare workers: Improving knowledge and intentions to use clear communication techniques. Patient Education
and Counseling, 85(3), e225–e228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2011.02.022
Manganello, J. A. (2008). Health literacy and adolescents: A framework and agenda for future research. Health Education Research, 23(5), 840–847. https://doi.org/10.1093/HER/CYM069
Massey, P., Prelip, M., Calimlim, B., Afifi, A., Quiter, E., Nessim, S., Wongvipat-Kalev, N., & Glik, D. (2013). Findings toward a multidimensional measure of adolescent health literacy. American Journal of Health Behavior, 37(3), 342–350. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.37.3.7
Matar Boumosleh, J., & Jaalouk, D. (2017). Depression, anxiety, and smartphone addiction in university students- A cross sectional study. PLOS ONE, e0182239, 214–222.
McQueen, D. V., Kickbusch, I., Potvin, L., Pelikan, J. M., Balbo, L., & Abel, T. (2007). Health and modernity: The role of theory in health promotion. Health and Modernity: The Role of Theory in Health Promotion, 1–170. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-37759-9
Mullan, J., Burns, P., Weston, K., McLennan, P., Rich, W., Crowther, S., Mansfield, K., Dixon, R., Moselen, E., & Osborne, R. H. (2017). Health literacy amongst health professional university students: A study using the health literacy questionnaire. Education Sciences, 7(2), 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/EDUCSCI7020054
Naghavi, A., Khalesi, Z. B., Rad, E. H., & Safshekan, S. (2021). Health literacy of Iranian adolescent girls and its determinants. Polish Annals of Medicine, 28(2), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.29089/2020.20.00156
NBER. (2019). If There’s a Doctor in the Family, Health Outcomes Improve. NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH. THE DIGEST: NO. 6. https://www.nber.org/digest/jun19/if-theresdoctor-family-health-outcomes-improve
Nielsen-Bohlman, L, Panzer, A., & Kindig, D. (2004). Health literacy: A prescription to end confusion. In Lynn Nielsen-Bohlman, A. M. Panzer, & D. A. Kindig (Eds.), National Academies Press (US). National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10883
Norman, C. D., & Skinner, H. A. (2006). eHealth literacy: Essential skills for consumer health in a networked world. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 8(2), e9. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.8.2.e9
Norrafizah, J., Asiah, M., Suraiya, S., Zawaha, H., Normawati, A., Farid, B., Faizal, B., & Nasir, A.
(2016). Assessment of health literacy among people in a rural area in Malaysia using Newest Vital Signs Assessment. British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science, 16(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.9734/bjesbs/2016/25737
Parkinson, C. M., Hammond, D., Fong, G. T., Borland, R., Omar, M., Sirirassamee, B., Awang, R., Driezen, P., & Thompson, M. (2009). Smoking beliefs and behavior among youth in Malaysia and Thailand. American Journal of Health Behavior, 33(4), 366–375. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.33.4.3
Peerson, A., & Saunders, M. (2009). Health literacy revisited: What do we mean and why does it matter? Health Promotion International, 24(3), 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dap014
Rababah, J. A., Al-Hammouri, M. M., Drew, B. L., & Aldalaykeh, M. (2019). Health literacy: Exploring disparities among college students. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7781-2
Rasu, R. S., Bawa, W. A., Suminski, R., Snella, K., & Warady, B. (2015). Health literacy impact on national healthcare utilization and expenditure. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 4(11), 747–755. https://doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2015.151
Rathnayake, S., & Senevirathna, A. (2019). Self-reported eHealth literacy skills among nursing students in Sri Lanka: A cross-sectional study. Nurse Education Today, 78, 50–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.04.006
Saeedi, F., Panahi, R., & Osmani, F. (2016). The survey of health literacy and factors influencing it among high school students in Tehran, 2016. Health Education and Health Promotion, 4(2), 49-59.
Shah J. A., Hamzah, S. R. A., Suandi, T., & Arif, I. (2017). Development of a health literacy assessment for young adult high school students: A pilot study. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 7(12), 2222-6990. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v7-i12/3674
Sørensen, K., Van Den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z., & Brand, H. (2012). Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 80. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-80
United Nations. (2018). World youth report: Youth and the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations.
University of Minnesota. (2007). Report On Health And Habits Of College Students Released. Sciencedaily, 16 November, 14–17. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115125827.htm
Uysal, N., Ceylan, E., & Koç, A. (2020). Health literacy level and influencing factors in university students. Health & Social Care in the Community, 28(2), 505–511. https://doi.org/10.1111/HSC.12883
Wang, W., Hou, Y., Hu, N., Zhang, D., Tao, J., Man, Y., Wang, A., Li, N., & Bi, Y. (2014). A crosssectional study on health-related knowledge and its predictors among Chinese vocational college students. BMJ Open, 4(10), e005182. https://doi.org/10.1136/BMJOPEN-2014-005182
WHO. (2022). Improving health literacy. In World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/activities/improving-health-literacy
Zhang, Y., Zhang, F., Hu, P., Huang, W., Lu, L., Bai, R., Sharma, M., & Zhao, Y. (2016). Exploring health literacy in medical university students of Chongqing, China: A cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE, 11(4), e0152547. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0152547
Downloads
Issue
Section
Published
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Journal of Turkish Science Education
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
