Assessing the level of health literacy and barriers to accessing health information in referrals to Shahid Mostafa Khomeini hospital

The World Health Organization has identified health literacy as one of the biggest determinants of health. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of health literacy and barriers to accessing health information in clienteles to Shahid Mostafa Khomeini hospital.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 385 referrals to Shahid Mostafa Khomeini hospital in 2020. The collection tool is a questionnaire containing three parts including individual and demographic questions, questions to assess the level of health literacy and questions to assess barriers to accessing health information). The data collected in this study were analyzed using SPSS 22 software. Significance level in this study was less than 0.05.

From the total number of participants 55.1% were women and the mean age of the subjects was 41.69 ± 15.44. About 67.8% of the participants were the inadequate health literacy group. There was a significant relationship between health literacy level and age, gender, education and marriage of the participants (P < 0.0001). “No health center near home”. Was the most frequently reported barrier in both groups. The best variables for predicting health literacy, gender, and barriers to accessing health information were “Don’t know how to take care of self ",” Don’t know how to use the internet ", “Information wouldnot help to make decisions”.

According to the findings of the present study, people with adequate health literacy account for a small percentage; therefore, health policy makers should make more efforts and plans to increase health literacy in society, especially in the elderly or less educated.