Health Literacy and Health Outcomes in Iranian Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Document Type : Systematic Review

Authors

1 Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

Background and Objective: Health Literacy is the capacity of individuals to obtain, interpret, and understand health-related information for making an appropriate decision. The aim of this study was a systematically review the literature on the outcomes of health literacy in Iranian adolescents.

Materials and Methods: The search was done on scientific databases, using the keywords "health literacy", "health knowledge", "teen", " adolescent", high school"," middle school" and "Iran" in Persian and English, from 2010 until 2021 Jan. Study process was conducted from 10th of December to the end of December. Studies were considered with data about outcomes of health literacy in Iranian adolescents. 

Results: Ten studies met inclusionary criteria. Two studies reported students with higher health literacy had better health-promoting behaviours; moreover, two other studies reported students with higher health literacy had better body mass index. One study reported better oral health literacy conducted to lower oral health problems; furthermore, one study showed that higher health literacy leads to osteoporosis preventive behaviours. 
Results of one study indicated that higher health literacy leads to more perceived self-efficacy and better self-care performance. One study showed better hair and skincare performance in students with higher health literacy. Another study indicated that students with higher health literacy had better attitude and behaviour toward breakfast consumption and the results of one study demonstrated that students with better health literacy had better nutrition behaviours. In all studies, there were statistically significant linear correlations between health literacy and its outcomes (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The results indicated that adolescent's health literacy seems associated with important health outcomes then considering the importance of health literacy in adolescents, designing and implementing educational intervention for promoting health literacy is significantly important. As adolescents spend most of their daily time in schools, educational interventions should be school-based.

Keywords

References

1. Kickbusch I, Pelikan J, Tsouros A, Tsouros A. Health literacy: The solid facts. Copenhagen, Denmark: WHO. 2013.
 
2. Koh HK, Piotrowski JJ, Kumanyika S, Fielding JE. Healthy people: a 2020 vision for the social determinants approach. Health Education & Behavior. 2011;38(6):551-7.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198111428646  
 
2. ÖZPINAR S, ÇELİK ODABAŞI N, AKYOL M. Associations between health literacy and preventive Skin Cancer Prevention Strategies among University Students. Journal of Health Literacy. 2020;5(3):12-25.
https://doi.org/10.22038/jhl.2020.53482.1136
 
4. Izadi L, Taghdisi MH, Ghadami M, Delavar A, Sarokhani B. Identification of Effective Factors Decision Making in Crisis in Media rganization: A Systematic Review with Emphasis on Media literacy in Health Crisis (CORONA PANDEMIC. Iranian Journal of Health Education and Health Promotion. 2020;8(4):390-406.  
 
5. Newacheck PW, Wong ST, Galbraith AA, Hung Y-Y. Adolescent health care expenditures: a descriptive profile. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2003;32(6):3-11.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(03)00064-8  
 
6. Jamali S, Sabokdast S, Nia HS, Goudarzian AH, Beik S, Allen K-A. The effect of life skills training on mental health of Iranian middle school students: a preliminary study. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry. 2016;11(4):269.  
 
7. Vahedian-Shahroodi M, Tehrani H, Robat-Sarpooshi D, GHolian-Aval M, Jafari A, Alizadeh-Siuki H. The impact of health education on nutritional behaviors in female students: An application of health belief model. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education. 2021;59(2):70-82.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14635240.2019.1696219  
 
8. Motamedi M, Peyman N, Afzalaghaee M. Rrelationship of health literacy and regular physical activity self-efficacy with body mass index in adolescent girls aged 15-18 years. Journal of Health Literacy. 2020;5(3):64-73.  
 
9. Karimi N, Saadat-Gharin S, Tol A, Sadeghi R, Yaseri M, Mohebbi B. A problem-based learning health literacy intervention program on improving health-promoting behaviors among girl students. Journal of Education and Health Promotion. 2019;8.  
 
10. Valizadeh-Ardalan P, Yazdanpanah H, Servatyari K, Mardani N, Parkalian M. The frequency of substance abuse tendency and its related factors among high school students in Divandarreh City, Iran, in year 2018. Chronic Diseases Journal. 2019;7(4):233-9.  
 
11. Mohammadi MR, Ahmadi N, Kamali K, Khaleghi A, Ahmadi A. Epidemiology of psychiatric disorders in iranian children and adolescents (IRCAP) and its relationship with social capital, life style and parents' personality disorders: study protocol. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry. 2017;12(1):66.  
 
12. Khajouei R, Salehi F. Health literacy among Iranian high school students. American Journal of Health Behavior. 2017;41(2):215-22.
https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.41.2.13  
 
13. Rastegari H, Schulz PJ. Assessing Health Literacy in Iran: An Image in Two Frames. 2020.  
 
14. Paakkari L, Kokko S, Villberg J, Paakkari O, Tynjälä J. Health literacy and participation in sports club activities among adolescents. Scandinavian journal of public health. 2017;45(8):854-60.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494817714189  
 
15. Moher D, Altman DG, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J. PRISMA statement. Epidemiology. 2011;22(1):128.
https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181fe7825
https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181fe7999  
 
16. Knottnerus A, Tugwell P. STROBE--a checklist to Strengthen the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology. Journal of clinical epidemiology. 2008;61(4):323.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.11.006  
 
17. Karimi N, Saadat Gharin S, Tol A, Sadeghi R, Yaseri M, Mohebbi B. Role of Health Literacy and Demographic Variables in Determining Health-Promoting Behaviors Among High School Female Students in the City of Tehran, Iran. Journal of School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research. 2019;17(3):213-28.  
 
18. Basir L, Araban M, Khanehmasjedi M, Khanehmasjedi S. The effect of oral health literacy of adolescents on their oral health status: A cross-sectional study from Southwestern Iran. Journal of Oral Health and Oral Epidemiology. 2020;9(4):173-9.  
 
19. Khodabandeh M, Avarasin SM, Nikniaz L. The Relationship between Health Literacy, Perceived Self-efficacy and Self-care Performance of Female Senior High School Students in Health Promoting Schools of Miyaneh, 2016-2017. Journal of Health Literacy. 2017;2(3):164-76.
https://doi.org/10.29252/jhl.2.3.164  
 
20. Motamedi M, Peyman N, Afzalaghaee M. Rrelationship of health literacy and regular physical activity self-efficacy with body mass index in adolescent girls aged 15-18 years. Journal of Health Literacy. 2020;5(3):64-73.  
 
21. Olyani S, Tehrani H, Esmaily H, Rezaii MM, Vahedian-Shahroodi M. Assessment of health literacy with the Newest Vital Sign and its correlation with body mass index in female adolescent students. International journal of adolescent medicine and health. 2020;32(2).  
 
22. Panahi R, Yekefallah L, Shafaei M, Dehghankar L, Anbari M, Hosseini N, et al. Effect of health literacy among students on the adoption of osteoporosis-preventive behaviors in Iran. Journal of Education and Health Promotion. 2020;9.  
 
23. Ramezankhani A, Ghaffari M, Khodakarim S, Dadkhah M. The relationship between health literacy and the attitude and behavior of breakfast consumption in female high school students in Yasuj: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Health in the Field. 2020;8(1).  
 
24. Aghamolaei T, Hosseini Z, Hosseini F, Ghanbarnejad A. The relationship between health literacy and health promoting behaviors in students. Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2016;3(2):0-.  
 
25. Zarrinkolah A, Dashti F, Abedi H, Masoudi SM. A Study of Puberty Health Literacy, Care skin and hair Level of the First 14-16 Year Girls Grade High School Students. Journal of Health Literacy. 2017;1(4):250-6.  
 
26. Paasche‐Orlow MK, Parker RM, Gazmararian JA, Nielsen‐Bohlman LT, Rudd RR. The prevalence of limited health literacy. Journal of general internal medicine. 2005;20(2):175-84.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.40245.x  
 
27. Stella MY, Bellamy HA, Kogan MD, Dunbar JL, Schwalberg RH, Schuster MA. Factors that influence receipt of recommended preventive pediatric health and dental care. Pediatrics. 2002;110(6):e73-e.  
 
28. Stella MY, Bellamy HA, Schwalberg RH, Drum MA. Factors associated with use of preventive dental and health services among US adolescents. Journal of adolescent health. 2001;29(6):395-405.  
 
29. Missinne S, Neels K, Bracke P. Reconsidering inequalities in preventive health care: an application of cultural health capital theory and the life‐course perspective to the take‐up of mammography screening. Sociology of health & illness. 2014;36(8):1259-75.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12169  
 
30. Nutbeam D. The evolving concept of health literacy. Social science & medicine. 2008;67(12):2072-8.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.09.050  
 
31. Chinn D. Critical health literacy: A review and critical analysis. Social science & medicine. 2011;73(1):60-7.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.04.004  
 
32. DeWalt DA, Hink A. Health literacy and child health outcomes: a systematic review of the literature. Pediatrics. 2009;124(Supplement 3):S265-S74.  
 
33. Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE, Halpern DJ, Crotty K. Low health literacy and health outcomes: an updated systematic review. Annals of internal medicine. 2011;155(2):97-107.
https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-155-2-201107190-00005  
 
34. Sanders LM, Federico S, Klass P, Abrams MA, B D. Literacy and child health: a systematic review. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009;163:131-40.
https://doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2008.539  
 
Journal of Health Literacy
Volume 6, Issue 3 - Serial Number 23
December 2021
Pages 78-85

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics