The Effects Of Family And School Environment On Health Literacy Of Teachers And Students Of Primary And Secondary School, Shenzhen City, China

ObjectivesTo describe the distribution characteristics of health literacy among the primary and secondary school teachers and students from the three levels of health knowledge, health behavior and health skills; and to analysis influencing factors of health literacy of primary and secondary school teachers and students from the perspective of the individual level, family level and the school environment, and to provide basic data and policy recommendations for health promotion strategies of primary and secondary schoolsMethodsThe survey subject is Shenzhen health promotion benchmarking pilot project for primary and secondary teachers and students, using the cluster sampling method, and investigated a total of1087cases of primary and secondary school teachers and students, including535cases of primary school students,175cases of secondary school students, and377cases of teachers. The survey of students includes demographic variables, family characteristics variables, school characteristics variables and health literacy; the survey of teachers includes demographic variables, school environment and family economic status and health literacy. Health literacy assessment includes the assessment of health knowledge, health behavior and health skills, and the criterion of having the health literacy is that the correct answer rate of indicators is80%and above.ResultsThe results of primary school students showed that boys is more than girls (52.62%vs7.38%); Only child accounted for28.65%; the primary school students of non-Shenzhen residence accounted for51.53%; and primary school students not living together with his father and mother accounted for5.46%and1.69%respectively. The distribution of health literacy showed that primary school students with health knowledge, behaviors, skills and overall accounted for69.48%,82.06%,77.78%,76.15%, respectively. The result of multivariate analysis showed that the influence factors of health knowledge were grade and household characteristics; those of health behaviors were school environment health; and those of health skills and overall health literacy were grade and school environment health.Survey of middle school students showed that boys is more than girls(54.76%vs45.24%); Only child accounted for36.31%and the students of non-Shenzhen residence accounted for54.76%. The distribution of health literacy showed that primary school students with health knowledge, behaviors, skills and overall accounted for47.62%,39.29%,75.00%,29.07%, respectively. The result of multivariate analysis showed that the influence factors of health knowledge were only child, schools teaching quality and school health environment; those of health behavior as well as overall health literacy were age, and those of health skills were gender and age. The results middle and primary school teachers showed that those without non-Shenzhen accounted67.30%. In general, the respondents felt with pressure (62.16%). The distribution of health literacy showed that teachers with health knowledge, behaviors, skills and overall accounted for34.05%,19.19%,43.24%,6.76%, respectively. The result of multivariate analysis showed that the influence factors of health knowledge were gender, household registry characteristics and leadership approval; those of health behavior were cultural degree, working pressure and leadership recognition; those of health skills were marital status and health knowledge and those of overall health literacy were gender, work pressure and leadership recognition.ConclusionsThis study provides empirical data for health literacy and impact factors about their families and school of a primary and secondary school teachers and students. Results of different levels analysis on health literacy showed that teaching quality and school environment status have a significant effect on health literacy of adolescents, especially school environment status. However, family factors had no significance, whether middle school students or pupils. Results of multiple levels analysis on teachers showed that the working pressure and leadership recognition play an important role on health literacy, especially leadership recognized.Policy SuggestionsAmong the primary and secondary students, it is worth concerning about the one-child health literacy. In three basic dimensions of health literacy of the influencing factors, school sanitation was significant on many levels; in contrast, family factors are not significant. Therefore, in the socio-economic background of the rapid development of industrialization, the school-based health literacy of the primary and secondary school students may be more necessary and important.The survey data showed that overall health literacy of primary and secondary school teachers is not high, so upgrading of teachers'health literacy is necessary and urgent, because teachers are the most social demonstration occupational groups. In this regard, the school's organization and management strategies needed to strengthen, which focus on school sanitation and school leaders on the recognition of teachers'work.Highlights and limitationsTo our best of knowledge, the current study provided the first empirical data of health literacy of primary and secondary school teachers and students in China. Results of multiple levels analysis, whether on adolescents or on teachers, showed that school factors had significance on health literacy.Two limitations of the current study must be addressed. First, the survey sample was not random, and its size was relatively small. Second, it was first study on this theme, and then it was difficult for us to compare and discuss the current results.