The fear of COVID-19, health literacy and levels of compliance with prevention measures of adult individuals in Turkey
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.19416Keywords:
health literacy, fear, COVİD-19, prevention measures, adult individualsAbstract
Introduction: It is known that health literacy and fear of COVID-19 are effective in complying with COVID-19 prevention measures. A limited number of studies have shown the relationship between health literacy, fear of COVID-19, and compliance with COVID-19 prevention measures. The purpose of this study is to investigate the fear of COVID-19, health literacy, compliance levels with prevention measures of adult individuals and influential factors.
Methodology: The cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire and was conducted with 1018 adults aged 18-64 in Turkey between 01-31 December 2020. The convenience sampling method was used to determine the sample. Student t-test, ANOVA, correlation, and multiple linear regression were used.
Results: Half of the participants (49.9%) had inadequate and problematic-limited health literacy (HL). Adults` compliance with measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and some sociodemographic characteristics had a significant relationship with HL and fear of COVID-19 (p < 0.05). It was determined that those with high HL and those afraid of COVID-19 paid more attention to precautions (p < 0.05). Health literacy was a predictor of fear of COVID-19 (β = -0.091; p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Governments need to invest in increasing health literacy.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Gülhan Yiğitalp
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
