Effectiveness of Health Literacy Development on Alcohol Drinking Behavior: A Quasi-Experimental Study in the Catchment Area of Ban Nong Dee Sub-District Health Promoting Hospital, Nabon District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

This quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest study aimed to compare health literacy and alcohol consumption behaviors before and after participating in a health promotion program designed to develop health literacy regarding the reduction and cessation of alcohol consumption. A purposive sampling method was used to select a sample of 47 individuals aged 15 years and older who exhibited hazardous alcohol consumption behaviors according to the AUDIT criteria. The instruments used to evaluate the program's effectiveness included a health literacy assessment tool for alcohol drinkers and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The sample participated in the 12-week health promotion program focused on health literacy development for alcohol reduction and cessation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and pre-and post-program medians were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test at a significance level of 0.05.

The results revealed that the sample's health literacy scores increased across all domains. The skills with statistically significant increases level included comprehension skills increasing from 2.50 to 2.75 (p=0.004), inquiring skills increasing from 2.00 to 2.50 (p <0.001), decision-making skills increasing from 2.25 to 2.50 (p=0.008), and application skills increasing from 2.25 to 2.75 (p <0.001), except for access skills, which showed no statistical significance (p=0.066). Regarding alcohol consumption behavior, the score significantly decreased from 16.00 to 14.00 (p=0.003), shifting the behavior level from harmful to hazardous. Public health agencies can adapt and implement this program by emphasizing inquiry, decision-making, and application skills. Furthermore, the program duration should be extended beyond 12 weeks, with continuous follow-up evaluations scheduled every three months to ensure sustainable behavior modification.