Health Literacy Levels and COVID-19 Awareness of University Students Studying in the Field of Health Sciences

Esma Akgül; Fatma Tanrıkulu; Yurdanur Dikmen

Article Details

Health Literacy Levels and COVID-19 Awareness of University Students Studying in the Field of Health Sciences

Authors:

Esma Akgül | Fatma Tanrıkulu | Yurdanur Dikmen

Publisher:

Dokuz Eylul University

Main Topics:

Hemşirelik (Diğer)

Journal:

Etkili Hemşirelik Dergisi Vol.16 Issue 4, pp.536-548

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001301306

pISSN:

2980-3527

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Background: Health literacy, which is considered necessary in the management of chronic diseases, has become an important concept for infectious diseases along with the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the relationship between health literacy levels and COVID-19 awareness of health science students, and the factors affecting health literacy levels and covid-19 awareness levels. Methods: The study is of descriptive cross-sectional type and its sample consisted of 289 students studying at the health sciences faculty of a state university. Research data were collected using the Socio-demographic Diagnosis Form, Health Literacy Scale and COVID-19 Awareness Scale. Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test and Spearman Correlation Analysis were used in the analysis of the data. Results: Students health literacy levels are sufficient and high 104.52  14.49 and their COVID-19 awareness levels are high 4.02  0.95. It was determined that there was significant difference between gender, place of life, type of high school graduated, belief in the existence of COVID-19 and fear of catching COVID-19, and the total score averages of the COVID-19 awareness scale, and between gender and class level total scores of health literacy scale p  .05. In the study, it was found that as health literacy levels of students studying in the field of health sciences increased, their awareness of COVID-19 increased p  .05. Conclusion: In this study, it was concluded that students awareness of COVID-19 is related to their health literacy levels.

 Background: Health literacy, which is considered necessary in the management of chronic diseases, has become an important concept for infectious diseases along with the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the relationship between health literacy levels and COVID-19 awareness of health science students, and the factors affecting health literacy levels and covid-19 awareness levels. Methods: The study is of descriptive cross-sectional type and its sample consisted of 289 students studying at the health sciences faculty of a state university. Research data were collected using the Socio-demographic Diagnosis Form, Health Literacy Scale and COVID-19 Awareness Scale. Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test and Spearman Correlation Analysis were used in the analysis of the data. Results: Students health literacy levels are sufficient and high 104.52  14.49 and their COVID-19 awareness levels are high 4.02  0.95. It was determined that there was significant difference between gender, place of life, type of high school graduated, belief in the existence of COVID-19 and fear of catching COVID-19, and the total score averages of the COVID-19 awareness scale, and between gender and class level total scores of health literacy scale p  .05. In the study, it was found that as health literacy levels of students studying in the field of health sciences increased, their awareness of COVID-19 increased p  .05. Conclusion: In this study, it was concluded that students awareness of COVID-19 is related to their health literacy levels.

 Background: Health literacy, which is considered necessary in the management of chronic diseases, has become an important concept for infectious diseases along with the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the relationship between health literacy levels and COVID-19 awareness of health science students, and the factors affecting health literacy levels and covid-19 awareness levels. Methods: The study is of descriptive cross-sectional type and its sample consisted of 289 students studying at the health sciences faculty of a state university. Research data were collected using the Socio-demographic Diagnosis Form, Health Literacy Scale and COVID-19 Awareness Scale. Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test and Spearman Correlation Analysis were used in the analysis of the data. Results: Students health literacy levels are sufficient and high 104.52  14.49 and their COVID-19 awareness levels are high 4.02  0.95. It was determined that there was significant difference between gender, place of life, type of high school graduated, belief in the existence of COVID-19 and fear of catching COVID-19, and the total score averages of the COVID-19 awareness scale, and between gender and class level total scores of health literacy scale p  .05. In the study, it was found that as health literacy levels of students studying in the field of health sciences increased, their awareness of COVID-19 increased p  .05. Conclusion: In this study, it was concluded that students awareness of COVID-19 is related to their health literacy levels.

 Giriş: Kronik hastalık yönetiminde gerekli görülen sağlık okuryazarlığı, COVID-19 pandemisi ile bulaşıcı hastalıklar için de önemli bir kavram haline gelmiştir. Amaç: Bu çalışma, sağlık bilimleri öğrencilerinin sağlık okuryazarlık düzeyleri ile COVID-19 farkındalıkları arasındaki ilişki ve sağlık okuryazarlık düzeyleri ile COVID-19 farkındalık düzeylerini etkileyen faktörlerin belirlenmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Yöntem: Çalışma tanımlayıcı kesitsel tipte olup, örneklemini bir devlet üniversitesinin sağlık bilimleri fakültesinde öğrenim gören 289 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Araştırma verileri Sosyo-demografik Tanılama Formu, Sağlık Okuryazarlık Ölçeği ve COVID-19 Farkındalık Ölçeği kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde Mann Whitney U testi, Kruskal Wallis testi ve Spearman Korelasyon Analizi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Öğrencilerin sağlık okuryazarlık düzeyleri yeterli ve yüksek düzeyde olmakla birlikte 104.52  14.49, COVID-19 farkındalık düzeyleri ise yüksektir 4.02  0.95. Cinsiyet, yaşamının büyük bir bölümünü geçirdiği yer, mezun olduğu lise türü, COVID-19 varlığına inanma ve COVID-19a yakalanma korkusu ile COVID-19 farkındalık ölçeği toplam puan ortalamaları arasında ve cinsiyet ile sınıf düzeyinin sağlık okuryazarlığı ölçeği toplam puanları arasında anlamlı bir fark olduğu saptanmıştır p  .05. Araştırmada, sağlık bilimleri alanında öğrenim gören öğrencilerin sağlık okuryazarlık düzeyleri arttıkça COVID-19 farkındalıklarının da arttığı bulunmuştur p  .05. Sonuç: Bu çalışmada, öğrencilerin COVID-19 farkındalıklarının sağlık okuryazarlık düzeyleri ile ilişkili olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

Article Details

Health Literacy Levels and COVID-19 Awareness of University Students Studying in the Field of Health Sciences

Authors:

Esma Akgül | Fatma Tanrıkulu | Yurdanur Dikmen

Publisher:

Dokuz Eylul University

Main Topics:

Hemşirelik (Diğer)

Journal:

Etkili Hemşirelik Dergisi Vol.16 Issue 4, pp.536-548

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001301306

pISSN:

2980-3527

Health Literacy

COVİD-19

Pandemic

Awareness

University StudentsSağlık Okuryazarlığı

COVID- 19

Pandemi

Farkındalık

Üniversite Öğrencileri

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Esma Akgül | Fatma Tanrıkulu | Yurdanur Dikmen

Publisher: Dokuz Eylul University

Main Topics: Hemşirelik (Diğer)

Journal: Etkili Hemşirelik Dergisi Vol.16 Issue 4, pp.536-548

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 10/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001301306

pISSN: 2980-3527

Issues

Authors:

Esma Akgül | Fatma Tanrıkulu | Yurdanur Dikmen

Publisher:

Dokuz Eylul University

Main Topics:

Hemşirelik (Diğer)

Journal:

Etkili Hemşirelik Dergisi Vol.16 Issue 4, pp.536-548

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001301306

pISSN:

2980-3527