Health literacy of undergraduate students at a university in the Western Cape: A survey

Abstract

Background: Health literacy is critical in the lives of young people such as university students to ensure that they can access information about health risks and implement appropriate health promotion and disease prevention strategies.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the health literacy of undergraduate students by describing the level of health literacy, personal and situational factors influencing health literacy, and health care utilisation.

Setting: The study was conducted at a university in the Western Cape.

Methods: A quantitative descriptive survey was used (N = 953). Data were collected using a paper-based questionnaire that included demographic variables, the 47-item European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) and questions on healthcare utilisation and overall health. Descriptive analysis was conducted.

Results: Over two-thirds of the respondents were classified under ‘problematic health literacy’ (n = 372, 39.0%) or ‘inadequate literacy’ (n = 274, 28.8%). Only 220 respondents (23.1%) had ‘sufficient’ health literacy, and only 87 (9.1%) achieved an ‘excellent’ rating. Respondents who searched for health information (p = 0.006) and accessed healthcare (p = 0.014) in the last 6 months had significantly higher levels of health literacy and this was associated with a better overall health rating (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The study highlighted significant gaps in health literacy among university students, particularly in the domains of disease prevention and health promotion, indicating the need for targeted intervention.

Contribution: The study provides useful information on the current health literacy of young adults (university students) that can be used to plan health promotion activities.