Atsuko Taguchi|Hiroshi Murayama|Sachiyo Murashima
Association between Municipal Health Promotion Volunteers’ Health Literacy and Their Level of Outreach Activities in Japan
Tohoku University|Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology|The University of Tokyo|Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences
objectives explore association health literacy levels three types core activities among health promotion volunteers developing healthy lifestyle outreach family outreach community members study design crosssectional anonymous selfadministered postal survey registered health promotion volunteers konan area shiga prefecture japan conducted january 2010 study sample 575 registered health promotion volunteers methods survey collected data health literacy gender age education selfrated health perceptions volunteer organization perceptions recognition community level engagement health promotion activities measured extent participants engaged seven healthy behaviors promoted family members community authors compared health literacy level characteristics participants core health promotion activities using chisquared test examine associations demographic variables three core activities healthy lifestyle outreach family outreach communitylogistic regression analysis conducted examine association degree volunteers engaged core activities healthy lifestyle outreach family outreach community levels health literacy low medium high among health promotion volunteers controlling effects age gender health condition education may also impact volunteers outreach activities results four hundred fiftyfour questionnaires returned 790 response rate excluding 16 cases missing values health literacy degree health promotion activities 438 research subjects included analysis valid response rate 762 health literacy demographic characteristics volunteers associated three core health promotion activities bivariate analyses active participation core activities prevalent among older volunteers p0001 three activities selfrated health condition associated outreach family p 0018 community p 0046 years experience volunteer perception recognized community also statistically significant association outreach community p0001 multiple logistic regression higher level health literacy likely others actively engage outreach family 170 95 ci 103 280 176 95ci 104 300 medium high respectively outreach community 226 95ci 134 383 261 95ci 149 458 medium high respectively perception recognized community also statistically significant positive impact outreach community 152 95ci 117 199 conclusions volunteers higher health literacy likely actively engage outreach family outreach community providing educational programs improve volunteers health literacy may facilitate work