Health literacy among female university students in the United Arab Emirates

John D. Matthews, Zayed UniversityFollow

ORCID Identifiers

0000-0001-8669-3327

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

International Journal of Health Promotion and Education

Publication Date

11-2-2018

Abstract

© 2018, © 2018 Institute of Health Promotion and Education. While extensive in volume and scope, the body of scholarly literature focusing on health literacy and its impacts is not well developed as it pertains to adult females in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In fact, no published study to date focuses on health literacy among this population. To address this gap, a cross-sectional study was conducted with female university students enrolled at a federal university in the UAE. Data were gathered from 456 undergraduate students using the Newest Vital Sign as a primary measurement instrument. Results indicate that approximately half of the sample did not possess the requisite health-related knowledge or skills to successfully navigate the healthcare system or adhere to complex instructions from care providers. Most notably, the current study’s findings indicate statistically significant differences in levels of health literacy based on respondents’ perceived health status, date of last healthcare consultation, and exercise frequency. Recommendations for health promotion policy and practice are provided as are suggestions for researchers engaging with this topic in the future.

ISSN

1463-5240

Publisher

Institute of Health Promotion and Education

Volume

56

Issue

6

First Page

298

Last Page

308

Disciplines

Education | Medicine and Health Sciences | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

Arab, female, Health literacy, NVS, university students

Scopus ID

85055587251

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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