The Relationship between Health Literacy and Health Behaviors among Residents in Lahan Subdistrict, Bang Bua Thong District, Nonthaburi Province

Abstract

This study employed a descriptive correlational research design to examine the relationship between health literacy and health behaviors among residents of Lahan Subdistrict, Bang Bua Thong District, Nonthaburi Province, Thailand. The sample consisted of 330 individuals aged 30 years and older who were registered residents in the study area. The sample size was determined using Daniel’s formula, and simple random sampling was applied. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire comprising three parts: demographic characteristics, health literacy, and health behaviors based on the 3E2S1F1N framework. The instrument demonstrated good content validity (CVI = 0.89) and acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.78). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, as well as inferential statistics using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results revealed that the overall level of health literacy was at a very high level (M = 3.09, SD = 1.02). The highest mean score was observed in communication skills (M = 3.41), followed by decision-making (M = 3.32) and access to health information and services (M= 3.31). In contrast, overall health behaviors were at a moderate level (M = 2.07, SD = 1.07). The highest mean score was found in oral health care behavior (M = 3.49), followed by non-smoking behavior (M = 3.32) and dietary behavior (M = 3.31). Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated that all dimensions of health literacy including access, understanding, communication, decision-making, evaluation, and application were positively and significantly associated with health behaviors (P< 0.01). Among these, understanding of health information showed the strongest correlation (r = 0.65).

These findings suggest that enhancing health literacy, along with creating supportive environments, is essential for improving health behaviors and promoting sustainable health outcomes among community residents.