Health literacy profiles of undergraduate health students in Brazil: a cluster analysis

Health literacy encompasses the cognitive and social skills required to access, understand, and apply health information, influencing decision-making and disease prevention. Research with health students highlights that incorporating health literacy into curricula enhances competency levels, and impacts the quality of care provided.. This study aimed to assess the health literacy levels among Brazilian undergraduate health students and identify sociodemographic factors associated with health literacy through cluster analysis.

This descriptive, cross-sectional study involved 352 undergraduate students from nursing, physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology, and pharmacy courses at a private university inSão Paulo state, Brazil, in 2023. Sociodemographic, health perception, and health condition data were collected. Cluster analysis, based on the Health Literacy Questionnaire, identified distinct health literacy profiles.

The highest scores were observed for scale 3-Actively managing my health (2.81) and 9-Understand health information well enough to know what to do (3.78), while the lowest scores were reported for scale 1-Feeling understood and supported by healthcare providers (2.74) and 6-Ability to actively engage with healthcare providers (3.49). Eight clusters were identified. Cluster A showed the highest scores across all scales, representing 5.1% of the sample. This group consisted mainly of females (83.4%), self-identified as White(66.6%), older students (29.59 years), with parents having higher education (50.0%), and studying nursing (38.8%). Cluster H (1.7%) had lowest mean scores for scales 3 (2.07), 6 (1.47), 7 (1.53), 8 (1.67), and 9 (1.37). This group included only females, younger (21.1 years), with parents who had higher education (66.6%), and pharmacy students (50%).

Brazilian undergraduate health students face challenges in achieving adequate health literacy. Older female nursing students with higher-educated parents showed better results, while younger pharmacy students were more vulnerable. This pioneering study in Brazilian provides insights into health literacy levels among undergraduate health students and emphasizes the need for educational interventions to bridge gaps. Findings can guide discussions on incorporating health literacy into health curricula to enhance future healthcare professionals'competencies.