Health Literacy and ''COVID-19 Anxiety'' in Iranian Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Covid-19 pandemic has led to a wide range of psychological disorders, including anxiety. Inadequate health literacy is associated with poor mental health. People with higher health literacy are more likely involve preventive behaviors. This study aimed to determine the correlation between health literacy and anxiety caused by covid-19 in adults.  This cross-sectional study was conducted on adults over 18 years old in Jahorm city, Fars province, Iran, in 2021. A total of 197 participants were selected using multistage cluster random sampling. Demographic information and two standard questionnaires included Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) and Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA) was used to collect data. The data was analyzed by SPSS 17.0 based descriptive statistics,  independent t-tests, and Pearson's correlation The mean raw score of total health literacy was 131.62±0.33, and the mean score converted to 100 was 74.72±15.46, which indicates that the health literacy of participating in the study was favorable. The results of Pearson's correlation coefficient showed that with the promotion of health literacy, the anxiety caused by covid-19 (r=-0.351, p<0.001), the psychological (r=-0.339, p<0.001) and physical (r=-0.323, p<0.001) dimensions, significantly decreased and improved. There was also a significant correlation between the reading (r= -0.200, p=0.005), understanding (r=-0.202, p=0.004), appraisal (r=-0.275, p<0.001), and decision (r=-0.383, p<0.001) dimensions with anxiety that caused by covid-19.  The community's health literacy level can be an important factor in reducing anxiety caused by health problems such as the Covid-19 pandemic.