Objective To investigate changing trend in infectious disease prevention-related health literacy and its influencing factors among residents in Hubei province from 2014 to 2018 and to provide evidences for making policies on infectious disease prevention.
Methods We conducted yearly surveys among 15 – 69 years old permanent residents (n = 14 708) selected with stratified multistage random cluster sampling in 12 counties/prefectures/districts across Hubei province between 2014 and 2018. A questionnaire compiled by National Health and Family Planning Commission for health literacy survey among Chinese residents was adopted and the collected information on infectious disease prevention-related health literacy were analyzed statistically.
Results For the five waves of the yearly survey, the proportion of the participants with infectious disease prevention-related health literacy (scored 80 and above in a full scale of 100 for knowledge about infectious diseases) were 11.3%, 14.8%, 17.7%, 15.4% and 20.5%, respectively. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed following significant promotion factors of infectious disease prevention-related health literacy of the participants: being surveyed in the later year (odd ratio OR = 1.049, 95% confidence interval 95% CI: 1.015 – 1.084), at younger ages (25 – 34 vs. 64 – 69: OR = 1.417, 95% CI: 1.129 – 1.778; 35 – 44 vs. 64 – 69: OR = 1.498, 95% CI: 1.207 – 1.860) and with higher education (college and above vs. being illiterate: OR = 6.422, 95% CI: 4.912 – 8.396).
Conclusion The infectious disease prevention-related health literacy was increased slowly but still at a low level and significantly influenced by years, age and education among 15 – 69 years old residents in Hubei province.
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