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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

Determinants of health literacy and health behavior regarding infectious respiratory diseases: a pathway model

Authors: Xinying Sun, Yuhui Shi, Qingqi Zeng, Yanling Wang, Weijing Du, Nanfang Wei, Ruiqian Xie, Chun Chang

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2013

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Abstract

Background

Health literacy has been defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand the basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Currently, few studies have validated the causal pathways of determinants of health literacy through the use of statistical modeling. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a health literacy model at an individual level that could best explain the determinants of health literacy and the associations between health literacy and health behaviors even health status.

Methods

Skill-based health literacy test and a self-administrated questionnaire survey were conducted among 3222 Chinese adult residents. Path analysis was applied to validate the model.

Results

The model explained 38.6% of variance for health literacy, 11.7% for health behavior and 2.3% for health status: (GFI = 0.9990; RMR = 0.0521; χ2 = 10.2151, P = 0.1159). Education has positive and direct effect on prior knowledge (β = 0.324) and health literacy (β = 0.346). Health literacy is also affected by prior knowledge (β = 0.245) and age (β = -0.361). Health literacy is a direct influencing factor of health behavior (β = 0.101). The most important factor of health status is age (β = 0.107). Health behavior and health status have a positive interaction effect.

Conclusion

This model explains the determinants of health literacy and the associations between health literacy and health behaviors well. It could be applied to develop intervention strategies to increase individual health literacy, and then to promote health behavior and health status.
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Metadata
Title
Determinants of health literacy and health behavior regarding infectious respiratory diseases: a pathway model
Authors
Xinying Sun
Yuhui Shi
Qingqi Zeng
Yanling Wang
Weijing Du
Nanfang Wei
Ruiqian Xie
Chun Chang
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-261

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