Analysis on the current situation and influencing factors of health literacy of undergraduate in a medical college

ObjectiveTo understand the level and influencing factors of health literacy of undergraduate in a medical college, and provide the reference for the targeted intervention of health literacy of college students.

MethodsTaking the undergraduates of a medical college as the research object, the stratified cluster sampling method was adopted, and the Chinese Citizens' Health Literacy Questionnaire in 2009 was used to investigate.

ResultsThe overall health literacy rate of the medical college students was 16.5%, and the rates of knowledge and concept of health literacy, healthy lifestyle and behavior, health skills were 29.3%, 5.4% and 63.0%, respectively.The results of the analysis of influencing factors on health literacy score showed that the total score and three dimensions score of health literacy in clinical students were higher than those in nursing and general practice students(P < 0.01).With the increasing of grade, the total score of students' health literacy, and scores of knowledge and concept of health literacy, healthy lifestyle and behavior and health skills showed an increasing trend(P < 0.01).The overall score of health literacy, healthy lifestyle and behavior score in female students were higher than those in male students(P < 0.05 and P < 0.01).The total level of health literacy, scores of knowledge and concept of health literacy, scores of healthy lifestyle and behavior in Han students were higher than those in Hui and Man students(P < 0.01).With the increasing of the average monthly income of students' families, the overall level of health literacy and score of health literacy knowledge concept showed an increasing trend(P < 0.05).The differences of the effects of only child, place of origin, parents' education level and monthly living expenses on the health literacy score of college students were not statistically significant(P>0.05).

ConclusionsThe level of the health literacy of medical college students needs to be further improved, the school should strengthen the cultivation of health literacy to improve the level of health literacy of medical students.