Highlights
- •Health literacy begins in the childhood and continues throughout the lifetime.
- •Adolescents with health literacy display their health promotion behaviors much more.
- •Most of the adolescents had a moderate health literacy level and applied healthy behaviors.
Abstract
Purpose
This study was conducted to determine the health literacy and health promotion behaviors
of adolescents.
Design and methods
This study used cross sectional and correlational design. The population of the study
consisted of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students from three different secondary schools
selected from high, middle, and low income levels. The sample consisted of 2498 students.
Results
The mean score of the health literacy scale of the students was 30.26. The mean score
of the adolescent health promotion scale was 143.75. The mean scores of health literacy
and adolescent health promotion scores of the students in high income level, sixth
grade, and have parents with a baccalaureate or graduate degree were significantly
higher (p < 0.005). A moderate positive correlation was found between the school age health
literacy scale and the adolescent health promotion scale (p < 0.001).
Conclusions
Adolescents' health literacy, and their health promotion behaviors were at moderate
level. By integrating a basic health knowledge and healthy lifestyle behaviors course
into the student curriculum, health literacy of the students could be increased.
Practice implications
The determination of health literacy and health promotion behaviors in adolescents
by nurses in the schools will be a guide for the promotion of enhanced adolescent
health.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 20, 2020
Accepted:
April 18,
2020
Received in revised form:
April 12,
2020
Received:
January 29,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
