Study on the status and factors of health literacy among rural residents in Xi'an City of Shaanxi Province

Objective To investigate and understand the status and factors of health literacy among rural residents in Xi'an City of Shaanxi Province to provide evidence for developing appropriate intervention measures and strategies of health literacy.Methods 821 people aged 15-69 years old were selected from rural area of Xi'an City by multi-stage stratified sampling method and were investigated by interview questionnaires.Results The overall level of health literacy among rural residents was 3.1% in Xi'an City.The proportions of residents who hold the health literacy level in concept and basic knowledge,health lifestyle and behavior,basic skills were 15.3%,2.5% and 10.4% respectively.The results of logistics regression analysis showed that factors of health literacy among rural residents were education,age,occupation et al.The education was the most important factor.Conclusion The overall level of health literacy among rural residents in Xi'an City was lower than the national average of 3.4%,and the distribution of Xi'an City was similar to the national distribution.It is proposed to continuously strengthen health information communication,seek surrounding supports,and implement the appropriate intervention measures to improve health literacy of residents.