Highlights
- •Health literacy is related to risk perception and self-efficacy for substance use.
- •Health literacy is related to risk perception for some obesity-related behaviors.
- •Health literacy affects the relationship between self-efficacy and substance use.
- •Health literacy affects the relationship between self-efficacy and diet.
Abstract
Purpose
Risk perception (RP) and self-efficacy are targeted in adolescent health behavior
interventions, however these variables have not been explored in relation to health
literacy (HL). HL may affect how adolescents assess, prioritize, and integrate information
when forming RP and self-efficacy and, ultimately, their health behaviors. This study
assessed the relationship between functional, interactive, and critical HL and adolescents'
behavior-specific RP and self-efficacy and health behaviors.
Design and methods
Cross-sectional data were collected from 380 adolescents attending high school via
an online survey. Survey measures included demographics, functional, interactive,
and critical HL, and substance use and obesogenic behavior-related beliefs, attitudes,
and behaviors. Pearson correlations and regressions were estimated.
Results
The relationship between HL and RP, self-efficacy, and behaviors varied by behavior
and HL type. Critical HL was related to obesogenic-specific RP and behaviors, while
interactive and critical HL were related to self-efficacy. Interactive and critical
HL were related to substance use-specific RP and self-efficacy while functional and
interactive HL were related to substance use behaviors. HL moderated several RP/behavior
and self-efficacy/behavior relationships.
Conclusions
The significant relationships between HL and RP and self-efficacy highlight how HL
may be an underlying factor or help shape adolescents' perceptions and beliefs adolescents
have about behaviors and themselves, which ultimately influence their behaviors.
Practical implications
Adolescent interventions should be assessed to determine what underlying HL skills
are needed for behavior change and assess and address HL directly as adolescents with
low HL may be at a disadvantage for intervention uptake and outcomes.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 09, 2022
Accepted:
November 28,
2022
Received in revised form:
November 12,
2022
Received:
October 5,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
