An examination of ecological predictors of health literacy in black college students |
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| Authors: | Carrie Rosario Naomi Modeste Hildemar Dos Santos Daniel Handysides Thelma Gamboa-Maldonado Kendal Boyd |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA;2. School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA;3. Department of Psychology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA |
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| Abstract: | Objective: Health literacy is a determinant of health, but disparities in health literacy persist. This study examined the influence of ecological factors on college students’ health literacy. Participants: During January 2016 a nonrandom sample of black undergraduate students (n = 298) aged 18–24 were recruited from enrollment lists at two urban universities in the Southeastern United States. Methods: Information on health literacy as well as numerous intrapersonal, social, and cultural-environment factors was obtained using an electronic questionnaire and then statistically modeled. Results: Ecological factors accounted for 28.7% of the variance in health literacy. In particular, reappraisal (B = 0.323, p < .001), suppression (B = ?0.289, p < .001), campus health education (B = 0.192, p < .05), campus tobacco culture (B = ?0.174, p < .05), and perceived norms (B = ?0.153, p < .05) directly predicted health literacy. Conclusions: Although intrapersonal factors influence health literacy, the sociocultural environment of college can also foster or hinder college students’ health literacy. |
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| Keywords: | College students ecological influences health literacy sociocultural environment |
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