Effectiveness of a Structured Health Literacy Education Program on Health Literacy and Self-efficacy in Adolescents

Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University102 enrolled

Overview

This randomized controlled study evaluates the effectiveness of a structured health literacy education program designed for ninth-grade adolescents in a public high school. A total of 102 students were stratified by gender and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received a six-session health literacy education program delivered in the school setting. The program focused on improving adolescents' ability to access, understand, evaluate, and apply health-related information, as well as strengthening self-efficacy skills. Health literacy and self-efficacy were measured before and after the intervention using validated scales. The study aims to determine whether a structured school-based education program can improve adolescents' health knowledge and self-efficacy levels.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

102

Conditions

Health Literacy Self-efficacy

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 14 YearsMax age: 15 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Being a 9th-grade student enrolled in a public high school * Aged between 14 and 15 years * Providing written informed assent * Having parental/guardian consent for participation Exclusion Criteria: * Having difficulties in Turkish literacy * Presence of a diagnosed physical or mental condition that could interfere with participation * Absence from two or more educational sessions * Withdrawal of consent during the study

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Health Literacy Score

Health literacy will be measured using the Health Literacy Scale for School-Aged Children (HLSAC) developed by Paakkari et al. The scale consists of 10 items scored on a 4-point Likert scale, with total scores ranging from 10 to 40. Higher scores indicate higher levels of health literacy.

Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention.

Secondary Outcomes

Self-Efficacy Scale for Children

Self-efficacy will be assessed using the Self-Efficacy Scale for Children developed by Muris. The scale includes 21 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with total scores ranging from 21 to 105. Higher scores indicate higher levels of self-efficacy.

Time frame: Baseline and immediately after 6-week intervention