Objective  To explore the situation and influencing factors of health literacy and demands for health education on new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) pneumonia (NCP) among community residents.

  Methods  With convenient sampling, we conducted a smartphone-based survey among 521 adult community residents (aged ≥ 19 years) in Fujian province using a self-designed questionnaire in February 2020, 10 days after the implementation of first grade emergency response to NCP epidemic in the province.

  Results  For all the participants, the average score for NCP epidemic-related health literacy was 11.28 ± 2.17 and 20.9% were assessed as with low NCP epidemic-related health literacy. Logistic regression analyses revealed that compared to the participants aged 60 years and above, the younger participants were less likely to have a low NCP epidemic-related health literacy (aged 19 – 25 years: odds ratio OR = 0.286, 95% confidence interval 95% CI: 0.082 – 0.998; aged 26 – 45 years: OR = 0.198, 95% CI: 0.066 – 0.590; aged 46 – 59 years: OR = 0.147, 95% CI: 0.046 – 0.470 ); the participants with higher education than junior high school and below were less likely to have a low NCP epidemic-related health literacy (undergraduate or college: OR = 0.212, 95% CI: 0.109 – 0.411; graduate and above: OR = 0.319, 95% CI: 0.129 – 0.787 ); the participants being uncertain about ever taking part in health education on public health emergency were more likely to have a low NCP epidemic-related health literacy (OR = 4.895, 95% CI: 2.071 – 11.571) in comparison with those ever having the health education. The top three routes for the health education reported by the participants were online and other media publicity materials, information pushed via Wechat and other platforms, and broadcast materials distributed in communities. With the increase of age and education background, the proportion of participants selecting online publicity materials increased but that selecting broadcast materials distributed in communities decreased with the increment of participants′ age and education (both P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  The health literacy on new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic prevention and control needs to be improved among community residents, especially among those at elder age and with low education.