Health Literacy and COVID-19 Preventive Behavior Among a High School’s Students in Kalasin Province, Thailand

Matatratip, C ； Klamsuwan, B ； Pakphoom, K ； Sangthong, S ； Chanaboon, S

《The Proceedings of the 8th AHLA International Conference: Health Literacy in Social Resilience》 2022 (2022/12) Pp. 19-20

https://doi.org/10.30181/AHLA.202210.0012

摘要

INTRODUCTION: Health literacy involved everyone to concern in health promotion and protection, disease prevention and early screening, health care and maintenance, and policy making. Therefore, health knowledge is necessary to effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19. Presently, Thailand has relieved more prevent COVID-19 measures, including permission to study on-site under the measures in which students should appropriately protect themselves. However, Thailand still found infection in children the rate of COVID-19 Omicron infection was 12.05% compared to all infections. Kalasin, a province in the northeastern region of Thailand, has 1,133 schools with 186,136 students, there have not been investigated of health literacy and COVID-19 prevention behavior before, and the results of the study will be applied to related agencies in Kalasin province as guidelines for the COVID-19 prevention of epidemics in schools.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the level of health literacy and behavior of COVID-19 prevention along with associations between them.
METHODS: The samples were 295 of Mathayom 1-6 students in a High School in Kalasin province, Thailand. Data were collected in June 2022 by using 3 parts of questionnaire: personal data, health literacy and COVID-19 prevention behavior. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation Coefficient).
RESULTS: 1) The samples were females 60.3%, received 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine 80.3% and more than 2 doses 11.4%. 2 samples were not permitted to get COVID-19 vaccine from Parents. 2) Health literacy in COVID-19 prevention were at a moderate level with averages of 3.52 (S.D.= 0.53). The comprehensive and right decision skills in COVID-19 prevention was at high level with averages of 4.35 (S.D.= 0.86) and 4.38 (S.D.= 0.70), respectively. The access and communication skills were at a low level with averages of 2.87 (S.D.= 0.86) and 2.57 (S.D.= 1.32), respectively. The most accessible source of information was social media 54.9%. The following advice from parents 32.2%, public health officials 23.1%, and websites 19.7%. Prevention behaviors of COVID-19 were at a moderate level with averages of 3.09 (S.D.= 0.89). The behaviors in moderate level are wearing a mask, hand washing, temperature monitoring, observing risk symptoms for covid-19, and use a personal spoon. The behaviors in low level are distancing, self-risk assessment before coming to school, group activities and cleaning common contact areas such as handrails, tables, and chairs. 3) The relation of health literacy and COVID-19 prevention behaviors was positive with statistically significant (r=0.34, p value <0.001).
CONCLUSION: Health literacy has positive relationship with COVID-19 prevention behaviors with statistically significant and health literacy and COVID-19 prevention behaviors were in moderate level. It recommends that the authorities of schools leader should creative students' skills in accessing health information by using social media and engage students to have group school activities, such as cleaning the contact areas underlining COVID-19 preventive behaviors by the participation of student leaders.