Relationship between health literacy skills and walking behavior to prevent osteoporosis among health volunteers

Rahman Panahi; Nooshin Hosseini; Saba Yavari; Keyhan Javanmardi; Mohiadin Amjadian

doi:10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2023.64.1.2685

Relationship between health literacy skills and walking behavior to prevent osteoporosis among health volunteers

J Prev Med Hyg. 2023 May 16;64(1):E48-E54. doi: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2023.64.1.2685. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Authors

Rahman Panahi¹, Nooshin Hosseini², Saba Yavari¹, Keyhan Javanmardi³, Mohiadin Amjadian⁴

Affiliations

¹ Research Center for Social Determinants of Health, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² MS.C. in Health Education, School of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran.
³ MS.C. in Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Kordistan University, Sanandaj, Iran.
⁴ Assistant Professor of English Language Department, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

PMID: 37293456
PMCID: PMC10246620
DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2023.64.1.2685

Abstract

Background: Considering the effect of exercise and health literacy in preventing osteoporosis, the effect of health literacy in adopting preventive behaviors, and the role of health volunteers in transferring health messages to the community, this study aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy skills and adopting walking behavior to prevent osteoporosis in women health volunteers.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 290 health volunteers referring to Qazvin health centers in 2020 were selected through Multi-stage random sampling. Data were collected using a health literacy questionnaire (HELIA) and a questionnaire for the adoption of walking behaviors for the prevention of osteoporosis, and they were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression in SPSS software version 23.

Results: The adoption of walking behaviors to prevent osteoporosis was at an average level. Age (P = 0.034, OR = 1.098), decision-making and application of health information (P < 0.001, OR = 1.135), understanding (P = 0.031, OR = 1.054), and evaluation skills (P = 0.018, OR = 1.049) were factors affecting the adoption of this behavior so that by increasing one score to these variables, the chance of adopting the behavior increased 1.098, 1.135, 1.054 and 1.049 respectively. Also, the level of education was another effective variable in adopting this behavior, so having a favorable level of adoption of this behavior in health volunteers with a diploma degree (P = 0.017, OR = 0.736) and below diploma (P = 0.011, OR = 0.960), were 0.736 and 0.960 times of those with university degrees respectively.

Conclusion: The adoption of walking behaviors to prevent osteoporosis among health volunteers - who have lower age, education, and decision-making skills and the use of health information, understanding, and evaluation - was less. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to them when designing educational health programs.

Keywords: Adopting walking behavior; Health literacy skills; Osteoporosis; Walking behavior.

MeSH terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Health Behavior
Health Literacy*
Humans
Osteoporosis* / prevention & control
Volunteers
Walking