Analysis Of Health Literacy Among Residents In Panyu District Of Guangzhou In 2016

ObjectiveThis study was to understand the health literacy status among residents aged from 15 to 69 in Panyu district and to explore the influencing factors in different social-demographic characteristics’residents.And then analyze the internal relationship of health literacy,find out the status of different types of problems under various influencing factors,so as to offer suggestions to the government and health department to take suitable policies and initiatives to improve residents’health literacy level.MethodsWe used a multi-stage random sampling method to investigate 578inhabitants between 15 and 69.Investigators was composed of staff from Community Health Center and Residents’Committee using the‘Health Literacy and Tobacco Monitoring Survey Questionnaire in Guangzhou Residents’to conduct household surveys.EpiData3.1 software was used for double entry and data verification,and SPSS 22.0 software was used to collect and analyse data.We used descriptive statistics to analyze the basical features of the residents and the health literacy rate.The comparison between the rates of health literacy levels was performed using?~2-tests,and then multiple regression analysis was used.AMOS21.0statistical software was used for multi-group path analysis to examine internal relations of health literacy.Result(1)The prevalence of health literacy among residents in Panyu district is 38.6%,with the basic knowledge level,the health lifestyle level and basic skills level is 46.5%,52.2%and 30.4%,respectively.The literacy level from the highest to lowest of six types of health problems is safety and emergency literacy(67.1%),infectious disease prevention literacy(62.1%),scientific views of health literacy(58.5%),chronic disease prevention literacy(39.4%),basic medical literacy(36.2%),health information literacy(33.7%).(2)The independent influencing factors of the overall health literacy level are the region,educational status and occupation.The urban residents’health literacy level is 1.820 times that of the rural residents.The level of the residents’health literacy rises gradually with the increase of the education level.The undergraduates and above,senior high school residents’health literacy levels are 5.596 and 3.349 times higher than the residents with primary education and below.In the occupation group,the medical staff is 7.556 times higher than the farmers,the teachers and other public institutions are 4.475,2.775 times higher,respectively.(3)There is a layer-by-layer transformation relationship inside health literacy.Basic health knowledge(0.434),health concept(0.257),and health skills(0.195)can affect healthy lifestyles and behaviors directly;health knowledge can influence health concepts(0.639)and health skills(0.742)directly.At the same time,health knowledge has an indirect effect on healthy lifestyles and behaviors through health concepts and health skills(0.309).The internal path coefficients of health literacy among regions and educational status is different,and there is no difference among different occupational groups.(4)There is difference in six problem health literacy among regions,educational status,and occupation.The accuracy of the questions on safety and emergency literacy,prevention and treatment of infectious disease literacy,and scientific views of health literacy is relatively high,all over50%,respectively.In the prevention and treatment of infectious disease literacy,‘the Correct Way in Cough and Sneeze’has the correct rate of less than 50%in rural,junior secondary school and below residents.The accuracy of the questions in chronic disease prevention,basic medical,and health information literacy is rather different.In the chronic disease prevention literacy,the accuracy of‘the Benefits of Eating Soy Products’and‘Osteoporosis Knowledge’is relatively low.In the basic medical health literacy,the correct response rate of‘the Times of Pregnancies Examined from Pregnancy to Childbirth’,‘Correct Description of the Liver’,and‘Understanding of OTC on the Drug Label’is relatively low.In the literacy of health information,the‘Free Health Hotline’has the lowest accuracy.The correct rate of‘Judging Physique Type based on the Body Mass Index”and the‘BMI Calculation according to Height and Weight’is less than 50%in the residents of rural group,junior high school education group and occupational group.Conclusion(1)The overall health literacy level of the residents is rather better than other resigons,but there are significant differences among different problem health literacy level.The targeted measures must be taken among different groups to improve the residents’chronic disease prevention,basic medical,health information literacy.(2)The major effect factors of residents’health literacy include region,education level and occupation.(3)In the internal relations of health literacy,residents’health knowledge,health concepts and health skills play an important role in the formation of healthy lifestyles and behaviors,and health concepts and health skills can also play an intermediary role.(4)The strategies to conduct health education should vary from group to group,we should focus on strengthening health education of rural,poor educational,enterprise personnel and student groups residents.