The Health Literacy Status of Students in Allied Medical Sciences, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Hormozgan, Iran

Health literacy is one of the most important indicators of health knowledge. This study aims to evaluate the health literacy level of students in Allied Medical Sciences, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences (HUMS), Hormozgan, Iran.

This is a descriptive-analytical study with cross-sectional design conducted in 2019. The study population consists of all students in the School of Allied Medical Sciences, HUMS. Out of 447 students, 218 were selected by stratified random sampling method. The Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA) questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were analyzed  in SPSS software using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and post hoc tests. The significant level was set at 0.05.

The mean scores of female students in two dimensions of reading (P=0.015) and comprehension were significantly higher compared to male students (P=0.008). The results of Kruskal-Wallis test showed an increasing trend in the level of health literacy in the second-year students.

Incorporating a targeted curriculum in disciplines such as health information technology in all faculties of HUMS especially the Allied Medical Sciences, is useful in promoting the students' health literacy. This can be effective in increasing the students' ability to take care of themselves and their families and in advancing their educational goals in the future.