The Impact of Health Literacy on COVID-19 Preventive Practices Among Rehabilitation Students in Eastern Iran: A...

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Health literacy has emerged as a critical factor in managing health crises, playing an essential role in mitigating health disparities and enhancing social resilience. This study aims to investigate the determinants of health literacy in the context of COVID-19 prevention and control among university students.

This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2023, involving 257 students from the Faculty of Paramedical Sciences and Rehabilitation. Data were collected using the COVID-19 Health Literacy Scale, measuring five dimensions: understanding, communication, information seeking, analysis, and behavior. Mean, standard deviation (descriptive statistics) and t-test, ANOVA, and Cohen's d (inferential statistics) were used to analyze health literacy scores and their associations with demographic variables. The two-tailed p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean health literacy score was 2.4 out of 3 (SD = 0.25). Most participants were single females. The behavior dimension of health literacy scored the highest, while the understanding dimension received the lowest score. Significant correlations were found between health literacy scores and various factors, including marital status, educational level, field of study, and history of COVID-19 infection (p < 0.05). Students heavily rely on the internet and social media for health information, but often lack the skills to evaluate its trustworthiness.

The study highlights the importance of improving health literacy to promote better preventive behaviors against COVID-19. Customized educational methods that address each program's specific needs are crucial. To boost students' digital health literacy, universities should create discipline-specific curricula that enhance both core health knowledge and critical digital skills. Providing students with these competencies will better equip them to understand, evaluate, and communicate health information responsibly, which is vital for their future roles as healthcare leaders.