Health Literacy, Health Behaviors and Health Status of Staff in Suan Prung Hospital, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

This research aims to study health literacy, health behaviors, and health status. The sample group consists of Suanprung Hospital personnel who underwent health examinations and had laboratory results, including cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and uric acid levels, collected between February and April 2024. Systematic random sampling was used to select the sample of 202 people. Data were collected using a health literacy and health behavior assessment tool developed in 2023. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation. The study found that the sample group, on average, had very good health literacy and good overall health behaviors. There was a statistically significant relationship between health literacy and health behaviors. However, no statistical relationship was found between health literacy and health status. The relationship between health behaviors and health status, including the results of 2 blood tests, triglyceride and uric acid, had a statistically significant negative relationship. When separating the relationship between non-communicable disease health behaviors and COVID-19 infection behaviors and health status, it was found that non-communicable disease health behaviors had a statistically significant negative relationship with the results of triglyceride and uric acid, and COVID-19 infection behaviors had a statistically significant negative relationship with triglyceride levels. From the study results, health literacy was related to health behavior and health behavior may affect the health status of the sample group, It can be discussed that health literacy has a statistically significant relationship with health behavior and may affect health status. Therefore, increasing the level of health literacy among the general public is a major challenge in promoting good health.