THE LEVEL OF HEALTH LITERACY AMONG FUTURE TEACHERS BEFORE ENTERING EDUCATIONAL REALITY

Health literacy is one of the basic factors that affect health and the onset and development of many diseases. The objective of international as well as national strategic documents of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health of the CR, such as Health 2020 or the Development of health literacy for 2015-2020 is to increase the level of health literacy among the population. One of the core intervention areas is education. Teachers' level of health literacy affects its development among their students. This paper presents the results of a research study aimed at health literacy among future teachers with an emphasis on health promotion. The research was carried out in 2018/2019 and involved 180 respondents in the final year of the study programme Teaching at the Faculty of Education, Palacky University Olomouc. The authors used a research instrument designed by the WHO and provided by the National Institute of Public Health in Prague. Applicable methodology for data analysis and evaluation was observed. The results are unsatisfactory because 97.3% of future teachers showed a problematic or inadequate level of health literacy in the area of health promotion. Students of Teaching health education for elementary schools achieved a higher average score in health literacy compared with students of other fields of Teaching, but this difference is not statistically significant. The results a need for extending the portfolio of mandatory courses in all fields of Teaching in order to increase the level of health literacy among future teachers. (C) 2019 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK