Health literacy and its associations with physical activity, sport club participation, and subjective health among Swedish-speaking Finns in upper secondary schools and vocational schools
Keywords:
Swedish-speaking Finns, health literacy, physical activity, subjective healthAbstract
This study investigated the associations between health literacy and physical activity, sport club participation, and subjective health among Swedish-speaking students in Finnish upper secondary schools and vocational schools.
The study used data from the national LIITU-study that was conducted for the first time among students in Finnish- and Swedish-speaking upper secondary schools and vocational schools during the covid-19-pandemic in the spring and autumn of 2020. Data was collected with an electronic questionnaire that students answered during school hours. The questionnaire included questions about health literacy, and physical, mental and social health. Health literacy was measured using a validated, 10-item instrument Health Literacy for School-Aged Children (HLSAC) which measures theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge, critical thinking, self-awareness, and citizenship. The level of health literacy was determined using a validated scoring system.
Mann-Whitney U -tests, chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were conducted.
A total of 887 Swedish-speaking students participated. Health literacy was higher among women than men, higher among upper secondary school students than vocational school students, and higher in spring than in autumn. Compared to students with medium or low health literacy, a higher proportion of students with high health literacy were physically active according to the national recommendations, reported better self-rated health and less psychological symptoms. Among men high health literacy associated positively with regular and frequent participation in sport clubs.
The results support previous research on the crucial role that health literacy has in promoting the health of individuals. The pandemic year also gave a unique perspective on the subject. It is important to conduct more studies on this subject, and discuss the role of schools and sport clubs in equal promotion of health literacy in order to decrease health disparities in the population.
