Volume 22, Issue 87 (2-2023)
refahj 2023, 22(87): 285-319 |
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miri S, ganji M. (2023). The Role of Health Literacy in Coping with Anxiety Caused by Covid-19 Pandemic. refahj. 22(87), : 9 doi:10.32598/refahj.22.87.2046.4
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Introduction
Today, health literacy is an important and vital indicator, because it enables patients and other people to play an active role in the field of health and receive health services. The World Health Organization considers health literacy as a cognitive and social skill that determines the motivation and ability of individuals to obtain and access information, understand and use it to promote and maintain appropriate health. According to Behlman, Panzer and Kindig (2004), the set of capacities and skills for accessing, understanding, evaluating information and health services and using them optimally to promote health is called health literacy. Thus, low levels of health literacy are associated with issues such as insufficient understanding of health information, less participation in preventive behaviors, late diagnosis of diseases, inability to self-care skills, and non-adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Given the aforementioned points, the importance of health literacy in society is important, so that in the current situation, considering the prevalence of Covid-19 as well as its importance and necessity should be emphasized more. With the outbreak of the coronavirus, the World Health Organization has issued guidelines, including policies such as social distancing, and many countries have quarantined to protect the health of their people. Although quarantine was very effective in preventing the disease, it had a significant effect on people's mental health. The results of various studies show that people in the community may experience disorders such as psychosis, anxiety, stress and depression, and even suicide. Studies have also shown that people who follow the news of Corona are more likely to experience anxiety. The results of Liu et al. (2020) also show that negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and anger increase during the outbreak of Covid-19. While the scores of positive emotions such as happiness and life satisfaction have decreased, so with the emergence of Covid-19 and its rapid spread, the level of anxiety in the global population increases and to some extent leads to impaired health in society. Based on the points mentioned above, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of health literacy in coping with anxiety caused by Covid-19. In this study, due to the importance of the issue, the anxiety variable caused by the pandemic has been studied in both mental and physical health. In terms of physical health, long working hours are one of the risk factors that weaken the immune system or, if the disease occurs, such factors impair the recovery process and weaken the diagnosis and treatment. On the other hand, in the mental health dimension, the volume of psychological stresses such as stress and anxiety, which affect the mental and physical health of individuals and their social relationships, has also been studied. The experiences of different countries as well as the results of numerous research studies show that health promoting behaviors are necessary to maintain the health of citizens, and people with inadequate health literacy have poorer health status.
Over the past decades, concerns about literacy and health skills have been a serious warning for many health systems. Accordingly, people's education and community empowerment to prevent and care for diseases have become an important principle.
In this regard, promotion of health literacy of different classes of society and identifying effective and correlated factors with the important goals of the health system. Considering the importance of this issue, this study examines the process of health literacy in exposure to Corona's anxiety. The results of this analysis displayed that the mean levels of health literacy had the highest mean, and anxiety caused by Corona's lowest average.
This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 384 citizens over the age of 20 in Tehran. Sampling was calculated using Sample Power software, and the data were collected using two questionnaires of health literacy of Iranians from Montazeri et al. and anxiety caused by Corona from Alipour et al. (2009). Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability have been used to calculate validity, and face validity has been used to obtain the necessary validity.
Findings
Findings indicate that the mean scores of anxiety caused by Corona were lower in men but higher among women. Also, the analytical results show that the dimensions of health literacy (reading, assessment, comprehension, decision making and behavior and access) account for 47% of anxiety caused by Corona.
The results showed that in reviewing the results of the hypothesis, health literacy, reading, access, understanding, assessment, and decision-making and behavior of the anxiety caused by Corona, the obtained values are positive, which has been reported at 95% confidence level. Accordingly, the null hypothesis is rejected and the opposite confirmation and the decision-making and behavior variable in this research has been found to be the most effective one.
Discussion: In general, anxiety caused by Covid-19 pandemic is high among citizens and due to the direct relationship between health literacy and control of Covid-19, the need for health-oriented education programs based on the areas of health-promoting behaviors and health literacy components is suggested.
Ethical considerations
Contribution of authors
All authors contributed to this article.
Funds
No financial support was received from any person or organization for this article.
Conflict of interest
The authors have stated that there is no conflict of interest.
Following the ethical principles of research
In the present study, all ethical considerations, including the conditions of trustworthiness, honesty and non-plagiarism, have been observed.
Today, health literacy is an important and vital indicator, because it enables patients and other people to play an active role in the field of health and receive health services. The World Health Organization considers health literacy as a cognitive and social skill that determines the motivation and ability of individuals to obtain and access information, understand and use it to promote and maintain appropriate health. According to Behlman, Panzer and Kindig (2004), the set of capacities and skills for accessing, understanding, evaluating information and health services and using them optimally to promote health is called health literacy. Thus, low levels of health literacy are associated with issues such as insufficient understanding of health information, less participation in preventive behaviors, late diagnosis of diseases, inability to self-care skills, and non-adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Given the aforementioned points, the importance of health literacy in society is important, so that in the current situation, considering the prevalence of Covid-19 as well as its importance and necessity should be emphasized more. With the outbreak of the coronavirus, the World Health Organization has issued guidelines, including policies such as social distancing, and many countries have quarantined to protect the health of their people. Although quarantine was very effective in preventing the disease, it had a significant effect on people's mental health. The results of various studies show that people in the community may experience disorders such as psychosis, anxiety, stress and depression, and even suicide. Studies have also shown that people who follow the news of Corona are more likely to experience anxiety. The results of Liu et al. (2020) also show that negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and anger increase during the outbreak of Covid-19. While the scores of positive emotions such as happiness and life satisfaction have decreased, so with the emergence of Covid-19 and its rapid spread, the level of anxiety in the global population increases and to some extent leads to impaired health in society. Based on the points mentioned above, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of health literacy in coping with anxiety caused by Covid-19. In this study, due to the importance of the issue, the anxiety variable caused by the pandemic has been studied in both mental and physical health. In terms of physical health, long working hours are one of the risk factors that weaken the immune system or, if the disease occurs, such factors impair the recovery process and weaken the diagnosis and treatment. On the other hand, in the mental health dimension, the volume of psychological stresses such as stress and anxiety, which affect the mental and physical health of individuals and their social relationships, has also been studied. The experiences of different countries as well as the results of numerous research studies show that health promoting behaviors are necessary to maintain the health of citizens, and people with inadequate health literacy have poorer health status.
Over the past decades, concerns about literacy and health skills have been a serious warning for many health systems. Accordingly, people's education and community empowerment to prevent and care for diseases have become an important principle.
In this regard, promotion of health literacy of different classes of society and identifying effective and correlated factors with the important goals of the health system. Considering the importance of this issue, this study examines the process of health literacy in exposure to Corona's anxiety. The results of this analysis displayed that the mean levels of health literacy had the highest mean, and anxiety caused by Corona's lowest average.
This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 384 citizens over the age of 20 in Tehran. Sampling was calculated using Sample Power software, and the data were collected using two questionnaires of health literacy of Iranians from Montazeri et al. and anxiety caused by Corona from Alipour et al. (2009). Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability have been used to calculate validity, and face validity has been used to obtain the necessary validity.
Findings
Findings indicate that the mean scores of anxiety caused by Corona were lower in men but higher among women. Also, the analytical results show that the dimensions of health literacy (reading, assessment, comprehension, decision making and behavior and access) account for 47% of anxiety caused by Corona.
The results showed that in reviewing the results of the hypothesis, health literacy, reading, access, understanding, assessment, and decision-making and behavior of the anxiety caused by Corona, the obtained values are positive, which has been reported at 95% confidence level. Accordingly, the null hypothesis is rejected and the opposite confirmation and the decision-making and behavior variable in this research has been found to be the most effective one.
Test results of research hypotheses
Path coefficient |
R2 | Statistics T. |
P Values | Result |
| 0.410 | 0.360 | 1.362 | 0.000 | Confirmed |
Health literacy -> anxiety caused by Corona |
| 0.293 | 0.451 | 1.141 | 0.02 | Confirmed |
Access -> anxiety caused by Corona |
| 0.319 | 0.233 | 1.748 | 0.041 | Confirmed |
-> anxiety caused by Corona |
| 0.312 | 0.335 | 1.629 | 0.01 | Confirmed |
understanding -> anxiety caused by Corona |
| 0.217 | 0.231 | 1.084 | 0.039 | Confirmed |
Assessment -> anxiety caused by Corona |
| 0.439 | 0.321 | 1.045 | 0.02 | Confirmed |
| decision-making and behavior -> anxiety caused by Corona |
Discussion: In general, anxiety caused by Covid-19 pandemic is high among citizens and due to the direct relationship between health literacy and control of Covid-19, the need for health-oriented education programs based on the areas of health-promoting behaviors and health literacy components is suggested.
Ethical considerations
Contribution of authors
All authors contributed to this article.
Funds
No financial support was received from any person or organization for this article.
Conflict of interest
The authors have stated that there is no conflict of interest.
Following the ethical principles of research
In the present study, all ethical considerations, including the conditions of trustworthiness, honesty and non-plagiarism, have been observed.
Type of Study: orginal |
Received: 2022/02/3 | Accepted: 2022/09/26 | Published: 2023/02/8
Received: 2022/02/3 | Accepted: 2022/09/26 | Published: 2023/02/8
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