COVID-19 Aşısı Yaptırmayan Bireylerin Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Düzeyi

Amaç: Yetersiz sağlık okuryazarlığı, aşılama gibi koruyucu sağlık hizmetleri için bir risk faktörüdür. Bu çalışma, COVID-19 aşısı yaptırmayan bireylerin sağlık okuryazarlığı düzeylerini belirlemek ve aşı reddi ile sağlık okuryazarlığı arasındaki ilişkiyi saptamak amacıyla yapılmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı ve kesitsel nitelikteki bu çalışma Kasım 2021 ile Mart 2022 tarihleri arasında 366 kişi üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler katılımcıların sosyodemografik özellikleri ve COVID-19 aşılamalarına dair sorulardan oluşan anket formu ve Türkiye Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Ölçeği- 32 kullanılarak yüz yüze görüşme tekniği ile toplanmıştır. Bulgular: Katılımcıların %31,1’i yetersiz, %26,8’i sınırlı/sorunlu, %24,9’u yeterli ve %17,2’si mükemmel sağlık okuryazarlığı düzeyindedir. Sağlıkla ilgili bilgiyi değerlendirme sağlık okuryazarlığı %39,1 ile en düşük yeterli sağlık okuryazarlığı ve sağlıkla ilgili bilgiyi kullanma sağlık okuryazarlığı %51,9 ile de en yüksek yeterli sağlık okuryazarlığıdır. Coronavirüs sürecini her zaman takip edenlerde, her zaman sosyal mesafeye uyanlarda ve ellerini yıkayanlarda hastalıktan korunma yeterli sağlık okuryazarlık düzeyinde olanlar, hastalıktan korunma yetersiz sağlık okuryazarlık düzeyinde olanlara göre daha yüksektir (p<0.05). Sonuç: Katılımcıların, yeterli sağlık okuryazarlık düzeyi düşüktür. Tedavi ve hizmet sağlık okuryazarlık alt boyutu yeterli düzeyde olanlar, hastalıklardan korunma ve sağlığın geliştirilmesi sağlık okuryazarlık alt boyutu yeterli düzeyde olanlardan daha yüksektir. Aşılama gibi koruyucu sağlık hizmetleri kullanımında sorun yaşayan bireylerinde sağlık okuryazarlığının geliştirilmesi hem kendilerinin hem de toplum sağlığı açısından önemlidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

COVID-19, Aşı, Sağlık Okuryazarlığı

Health Literacy Levels of Individuals not Vaccinated for COVID-19

Aim: Inadequate health literacy is a risk factor for preventive health services such as vaccination. This study was conducted to determine the health literacy levels of individuals who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine and determine the relationship between vaccine refusal and health literacy. Material and Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on 366 individuals between November 2021 and March 2022. The questionnaire form consisting of the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, COVID-19 vaccination status, and the Turkey Health Literacy Scale-32 was applied in face-toface interviews. Results: Of the participants, 31.1% had inadequate, 26.8% limited/problematic, 24.9% adequate, and 17.2% excellent health literacy levels. The health literacy of evaluating health-relevant information to health was the lowest adequate health literacy with 39.1%. The health literacy of applying health-relevant information was the highest adequate health literacy with 51.9%. Adequate disease prevention/ health promotion health literacy level was higher in those who always followed the coronavirus process and paid attention to social distance and hand washing and was higher than inadequate disease prevention/health promotion level (p<0.05). Conclusion: The level of adequate health literacy of the participants was low. Those with adequate levels of health treatment and service health literacy sub-dimension were higher than those with adequate health literacy sub-dimension of disease prevention and health promotion. Improving health literacy in individuals who have problems using preventive health services such as vaccination is essential for their own and public health.

Keywords:

COVID-19, Vaccine, Health Literacy,

PDF

___

Öztürk Y. Public Health. Goals, aims and principles of public health. Erciyes University Press, Kayseri, Turkey; 2009.
Öztek Z. Basic Health Services 1978-2018. Association of public health specialists. Edirne, Turkey; 2018
World Health Organization (WHO) newsroom and spotlight: Ten threats to global health in 2019. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/ten-threats-to-globalhealth-in-2019 Access Date: June 10, 2023
Sallam M. COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Worldwide: A Concise Systematic Review of Vaccine Acceptance Rates. Vaccines 2021; 160.
Salali GD, Uysal MS. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is associated with beliefs on the origin of the novel coronavirus in the UK and Turkey. Psychol Med. 2020; 1-3.
Sorensen K, Van den Broucke S, Fullam J, et al. Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health 2012; 12(80): 1-13.
Adams RJ, Appleton SL, Hill CL, et al. Risks associated with low functional health literacy in an Australian population. Med J Aust 2009; 191: 530-534.
Austvoll-Dahlgren A, Helseth S. What informs parents’ decision-making about childhood vaccinations? J. Adv. Nurs. 2010; 66: 2421-2430.
Johri M, Subramanian SV, Sylvestre M, et al. Association between maternal health literacy and child vaccination in India: a cross-sectional study, J. Epidemiol Commun H. 2015;69(9):849-854.
Veldwijk J, Heide I. van der, Rademakers J, et al. Preferences for vaccination: does health literacy make a difference? Med Decis Making. 2015, 38(8), 948-958.
Wilson FL, Baker LM, Nordstrom CK, Legwand C. Using the teach-back and Orem’s selfcare deficit nursing theory to increase childhood immunization communication among lowincome mothers, Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs. 2008, 31(1), 7–22.
Okyay P, Abacıgil F. Turkish Health Literacy Scales Reliability and Validity Study. Ministry of Health Press, Ankara Turkey; 2016.
Durusu-Tanrıöver M, Yıldırım HH, Demiray-Ready FN, Çakır B, Akalın HE. Turkey Health Literacy Survey. Sağlık-Sen Press, Ankara, Turkey; 2014.
Özkan, S, editors. Turkey Health Literacy Level and Related Factors Survey. 1st ed. Ministry of Health Press, Ankara; 2018.
Güner AE, Şahin E, Peksu S, Kaya Şengü S, Güngör M. A study on determination health literacy level and identification of knowledge, manner, behavioral change and educational needs of elementary school teachers. Turkish Journal of Health Literacy 2020;1(1):58-76.
Deniz S, Bentli R, Kalkanlı MT, et al. Determination of health literacy levels and related factors of teachers working in Malatya. Sakarya Med J. 2020;10(1):28-36.
Malatyalı İ, Biçer EB. Determination of health literacy levels: The case of Sivas Cumhuriyet University. Ankara University Journal of Health Services. 2018;17(2):16-27.
Doğan M, Özdemir F. The relationship between health literacy level of pregnant women and COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Sakarya Med J. 2021;11(3):533-541.
Doğan M, Çetinkaya F. The relationship of health literacy level with positive health behaviors in academicians. Journal of Health Sciences 2019; 28:135-141.
Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE, Halpern DJ, Crotty K. Low health literacy and health outcomes: An updated systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2011;155:97-107.
Jovic-Vranes A, Bjegovic-Mikanovic V. Which women patients have better health literacy in Serbia? Patient Education and Counseling. 2012;89;209-212.
Topsakal T, Ferik F. Approaches of news sites to Covid-19 vaccines and evaluation of news content. The Journal of Akdeniz University’s Faculty of Communication. 2021;35:370-386.
Ball P. Anti-vaccine movement could undermine efforts to end coronavirus pandemic, researchers warn. Nature. 2020;581(7808):251.
Durmaz N, Hengirmen E. The dramatic increase in anti-vaccine discourses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a social network analysis of Twitter. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2022;18(1):e2025008.
Gölbaşı SD, Metintaş S. COVID-19 Pandemic and infodemia. ESTUDAM Public Health Journal. 2020;5:126-37.
Guess AM, Nyhan B, O’Keeffe Z, Reifler J. The sources and correlates of exposure to vaccinerelated (mis)information online. Vaccine. 2020;38(49):7799-805.
Genç Ç. Information sources, media usage habits and attitudes towards vaccination in the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Akdeniz University Faculty of Communication. 2021; 36:178-202.
Kinali G, Örgev BK, Örgev C, Topal B, Şahin H. A study on vaccine literacy and hesitance reflected on life in the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine rejection and anti-vaccine opposition. Eur J Sci Technol. 2022;38:462-472.
Mete B, Doğan Mete E, Kanat C, Pehlivan E, Demirhindi H. Factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: An online survey study in Turkey. ESTUDAM Public Health Journal. 2022;7(1):73-82.
Harlak H, Elmas P, Eyiol G, Mert S, Öner Ş. The effects of death salience and fear of COVID-19 on COVID-19 vaccine opposition: A Quasi-experimental Study. Nesne Psikoloji Dergisi 2022,10(25),399-417.