Investigating the health literacy influencing ways on the adoption of smoking preventive behaviors in Health Belief Model developed by health literacy

Incorporation of health literacy (HL) into health belief model (HBM) assist in strengthening the performance of this model in predicting smoking preventive behavior. However, the type of such an effect and the way in which the HL works in this hybrid model has not yet been determined. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the influencing ways of HL on adoption of smoking preventive behavior in HBM incorporated with HL. In this cross-sectional study, 340 dormitory students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran were enrolled using single-stage cluster sampling. The data collection tool was a valid and reliable questionnaire based on HBM on smoking prevention and HL questionnaire (HELIA). Data were All analyzed using SPSS version 16 and path analysis method based on single-variable and multiple regressions. stages of the study were conducted ethically. HL had a direct and statistically significant effect on all structures of the model and adoption of behavior. Also, it indirectly influenced adoption of behavior by influencing the structures of the model. Only perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy variables significantly affect adoption of behavior. In addition, the indirect effect of HL on the adoption of behavior was greater than its direct effect. It is possible to improve the degree of HL and, therefore, the adoption of smoking preventive behavior among students through the use of HBM incorporated with HL, which emphasizes on perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy variables