Level of health literacy and associated factors among Jimma town public high school adolescent students: A cross-sectional study

by Merga Garoma Jatu, Desalew Tilahun Beyene, Dechasa Befikadu W. Senbat, Tesfaye Asfaw Alemayehu, Diribsa Tizazu Hailu, Serkalem Aschalew Jima, Midhagsaa Dhinsa Kitila, Ebissa Bayana Kebede

This study aimed to assess the level of health literacy and its associated factors among Jimma town public high school adolescents, Jimma, Oromia, Southwest Ethiopia, 2023.

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2023 among 604 Jimma town public high school adolescents. A multistage sampling technique was employed to recruit study participants. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was entered into epidata 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 26.0 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were performed to identify factors associated with the level of health literacy. P-values less than 0.05 at 95% CI were used to declare statistically significant associations. The results were presented by text, tables and charts as necessary.

From 634 total sample size about 604 participated. About 317 (52.5%) were males. The age of participants ranged from 14 to 19 years, with a mean age of 16.95+1.52. The finding revealed that only 35.26% (95% CI; 31.44, 39.09) of participants had desired health literacy, while 64.74% of them had limited health literacy levels. Age of 18–19 [AOR = 3.99(2.41, 6.60): p<0.001], being in 11–12 grade level [AOR = 2.38(1.44, 3.95); p = 0.001], being from currently employed father [AOR = 4.20(1.98, 8.92); p<0.001] and being from currently employed mother [AOR = 4.54(2.82, 7.31); p<0.001] were factors positively associated with the level of desired health literacy.

Since a significant number of students in our study area had limited health literacy, we recommend schools to integrate a school health service that contains health education services. Moreover, efforts should be undertaken to raise adolescent health literacy for middle adolescents, early adolescents, and students whose families were not employed.