Health Literacy among Rural Communities: A Large Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objective: ti ve: A good picture of the Health literacy (HL) state in rural communities ti es is essential ti al to prevent and reduce the cost of treatment. The aim of this study is to estimate ti mate the HL of Iranian rural communities ti es and identify ti fy related factors. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional ti onal study was conducted with multi- ti- stage cluster sampling on about 5700 insured people living in rural areas of Iran in 2021. HL for Iranian Adults (HELIA) questionnaire ti onnaire and demographic information ti on checklist were used to collect information. ti on. Bivariate and multivariable ti variable regression analyses were conducted to examine the factors associated with HL. Results: Out of 5675 participants ti cipants in the study, 35.9% were male, 18.6% had university education ti on levels, and 24.1% were single. The overall average score of the HL Questionnaire ti onnaire was 59.64 +/- 22.85. Age, marital status, education ti on level, number of insurance years, and annual visits were associated with HL (p<0.05). Conclusion: The level of HL in the rural communities ti es of Iran was inadequate. Education ti on level was the most critical ti cal factor related to HL. Due to the low literacy level, the production ti on of simple, understandable, cheap, and available media and educational ti onal materials appropriate to the cultural, economic, and social characteristics ti cs of Iranian rural communities ti es is recommended.