Critical Health Literacy in a Pandemic: A Cluster Analysis Among German University Students

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Literacy
• Pandemic Preparedness

Background:

• Critical health literacy (CHL-P) is vital for navigating complex health information during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Understanding CHL-P among university students is crucial for developing targeted health education strategies.
• Previous research has not fully explored CHL-P clusters and their determinants in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct clusters of critical health literacy (CHL-P) among German university students.
• To investigate the associations between CHL-P cluster membership and various demographic and health-related factors.
• To inform the development of interventions promoting health literacy in higher education settings.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 5,021 university students across four German universities in May 2020.
• Cluster analysis was performed on five items measuring critical health literacy (CHL-P).
• Logistic regression analyses examined associations between CHL-P clusters and determinants like age, education, knowledge, risk perception, worries, and adherence to protective measures.

Main Results:

• Two clusters of critical health literacy (CHL-P) were identified: high and moderate.
• High CHL-P (31.2% of students) was associated with older age, female/other gender, advanced education, higher parental education, and moderate importance of education.
• High CHL-P cluster membership correlated with increased COVID-19 knowledge, risk perception, worries, and adherence to protective measures.

Conclusions:

• German university students exhibit varying levels of critical health literacy (CHL-P).
• Demographic and psychosocial factors are linked to higher critical health literacy (CHL-P) levels.
• Educational interventions aimed at enhancing CHL-P are recommended for university students in Germany.