Evaluation of the Relationship Between Health Literacy and Health-Promoting and Protective Behaviours Among Women: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bandırma
Abstract
Purpose: Although there are studies evaluating the relationship between health literacy and health-promoting and protective behaviours, research focusing on women in developing countries appears to be limited. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between health literacy and health-promoting and protective behaviours among the female population in Bandırma.
Methods: The sample for this cross-sectional study consisted of 400 women. The Sociodemographic Information Form, the Health Literacy Scale, and the Health-Promoting and Protective Behaviours Scale were used as data collection tools. The data were collected using a convenience sampling method. Pearson correlation was applied to assess the relationships between variables, while the t-test and ANOVA were used to evaluate differences.
Results: Health literacy was found to be significantly and positively associated with health-promoting and protective behaviours. A statistically significant difference was identified between health literacy and age, marital status, education level, income level, and the presence of chronic disease (p<0.05). The study findings indicate that women’s health literacy and their scores on the health-promoting and protective behaviour scale are at a moderate level. Among the participants, 32.3% reported spending very little or no time on physical activity, while 34.3% stated that they rarely or never used stress management techniques.
Conclusion: As women’s health literacy levels increase, their engagement in health-promoting and protective behaviours also improves. Enhancing health literacy among women may contribute to the adoption of such behaviours.
Ethical Statement
This study was conducted in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee on December 14, 2023, under protocol number 2023-10/223.
Supporting Institution
This study also was supported by TÜBİTAK 2209-A Scientist Support Programs Directorate (BIDEB) with the project number 1919B012300543 in Türkiye.
Project Number
1919B012300543
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Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Public Health (Other), Primary Health Care, Health Care Administration |
| Journal Section | Research Articles |
| Authors | |
| Project Number | 1919B012300543 |
| Early Pub Date | September 9, 2025 |
| Publication Date | October 1, 2025 |
| Submission Date | February 8, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | August 7, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 16 Issue: 4 |
