Sağlık Hizmetleri Meslek Yüksekokulu Öğrencilerinin Sağlıklı Yaşam Biçimi Davranışları ve Etkileyen Faktörler

Research into the relationship between digital health literacy and healthy lifestyle behaviors: an intergenerational comparison

Introduction

Digital health literacy wields a pivotal role in individuals' health status in terms of seeking and choosing appropriate and accurate information, and useful services from a vast array of choices. This study is aimed at assessing the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) and examining the relationship between DHL and the healthy lifestyle behaviors of participants from X, Y, and Z generations.

Methods

In this study, to conduct a cross-sectional web-based survey, an online self-report questionnaire was built, and a convenience sample with a snowball approach was used. The study was conducted among 1,274 respondents aged between 18 and 64 years. Data collection tools consisted of the Personal Information Form, Lifestyle Behavior Scale II (HLBS II), and DHLI. Cultural validation and psychometric testing of DHLI, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha test, and bivariate and multivariate regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.

Results

In the study, the Turkish version of the DHLI tool consisting of six dimensions proved to be valid and reliable, and deemed appropriate for use across all age groups. The average digital health literacy of the respondents was sufficient, but the mean of healthy lifestyle behavior scores was moderate. There was a positive significant relationship between the total mean scores of DHLI and HLBS. Among the subdimensions of DHLI, while the highest mean scores were in DHLI Reliability, DHLI Privacy, and DHLI Search, DHLI Navigation and DHLI Relevance showed the lowest mean scores. DHLI Reliability, DHLI Relevance, and DHLI Adding Content were statistically significant predictors of health-related behaviors of the respondents.

Conclusion

The most important feature and novelty of this study is that, although the DHLI scale has been widely translated for use in many countries, it has been translated and adapted to Turkish for the first time herein. The study offers crucial evidence about Generation X, Y, and Z's DHL level and its positive relationships with health-related behaviors. Therefore, the community and its partners should lead the way in empowering individuals to understand and use online information in an effective, secure, and health-promoting manner, along with governments.

The Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Lifestyle Behaviors of Individuals

The study was planned and administered as a descriptive study to determine how COVID-19 pandemic affected the lifestyle behaviors of individuals. The study was administered from 30 June to 30 September by including 615 adult individuals who had been exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the healthy lifestyle behaviors scale II, the total mean score was found to be 126.37 ± 18.58. The health responsibility (p = .032) and nutrition (p = .004) subscale mean scores of women were found to be significantly higher than men, while the spiritual development subscale mean scores of men (p = .047) were found to be significantly higher than that of women. It was found in this study that individuals did not regularly maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors in general during the pandemic period according to the subscales of health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, spiritual development, interpersonal relationships, and stress management.

Assessment of healthy lifestyle behaviors in traveling seasonal agricultural workers

OBJECTIVES

The deficiencies in working conditions, fees, housing conditions, and nutritional capabilities have negative influences on health of seasonal agricultural workers. It is highly important to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors in this group of individuals. This study aimed to identify healthy lifestyle behaviors in seasonal agricultural workers.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a descriptive study performed with seasonal agricultural workers.

METHODS

This descriptive study was performed by 508 seasonal agricultural workers, who worked temporarily in Kayseri Province between June 2016 and November 2016. The data were collected by a sociodemographic questionnaire including items on demographic characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, and education level. The Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Scale (HLBS) II was used to assess healthy lifestyle behaviors. The data from 118 seasonal agricultural workers were included to the analysis. Descriptive data are summarized as count and percent, whereas total and subdomain scores from HLBS II are summarized as min-max, standard deviation, and mean values.

RESULTS

In the study population, mean age was 29.2 ± 12.1 years. Of the study population, 33.9% were women whereas 59.6% were married, and 65.2% were graduated from primary school or higher. The mean total score was 86.7 ± 7.3 ranging from 70 to 112 in HLBS II. The interpersonal support score showed highest value among subdomains.

CONCLUSIONS

It was found that healthy lifestyle behaviors were moderately adopted by seasonal agricultural workers.