The relationship between low health literacy and knowledge and attitude towards the harms of smoking in dormitory students

Identifying factors affecting the level of knowledge and attitude towards the harms of smoking and determining the exact effect of each of these factors, including health literacy could help to improve knowledge and attitudes toward the harms of smoking. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the effect of health literacy levels on knowledge and attitudes towards the harms of smoking
This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted on 347 dormitory students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. single-stage random cluster sampling was used and data were collected using HELIA for urban population aged between 18-65 years old and researcher-made questionnaire that measured knowledge and attitudes towards smoking and its harms and then were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression test.
The mean and standard deviation of health literacy score was 70.52 ± 14.12 out of 100. The mean and standard deviation of knowledge and attitude scores were 16.65 ± 1.62 and 53.03 ± 10.33, respectively. Health literacy was significantly associated with knowledge and attitudes towards the harms of smoking. Accordingly, inadequate, relatively adequate, adequate and excellent levels of health literacy were significantly associated to knowledge and attitude towards the harms of smoking.
Due to the effect of health literacy on knowledge and attitude of students about the harmful effects of smoking, the design of related educational programs should pay particular attention to the level of health literacy of the audience.