Emrullah ARIKANOĞLU, Cem ALATAŞ, Abdulgani GÜLYÜZ
Anatolian Current Medical Journal - 2026;8(1):49-54
Aims: This study aimed to determine the levels of health literacy among parents living in eastern Turkiye and to identify the sociodemographic factors influencing these levels. In particular, the relationships between variables such as education, income, and number of children, and parents' health service utilization behaviors were evaluated. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between July and October 2025 at the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic of Malatya Training and Research Hospital. A total of 410 parents were included. Data were collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form and the Turkish Health Literacy Scale (TSOY-32). Analyses were performed with SPSS version 29.0. Group comparisons were made using ANOV A or Kruskal-Wallis tests, correlations were evaluated by Spearman's rank correlation, and predictors were identified through multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The mean age of the participants was 34.2+/-7.8 years, and 90.5% were female. The mean TSOY-32 score was 35.7+/-8.1. Based on classification, 19.3% of parents had "inadequate, " 28.0% had "problematic, " 35.9% had "sufficient, " and 16.8% had "excellent" levels of health literacy. Education level (r=0.48; p<0.001) and income level (r=0.37; p<0.001) were positively correlated with health literacy, whereas number of children showed a negative correlation (r=-0.21; p=0.006). In logistic regression analysis, low education (OR=2.41; 95% CI=1.58-3.65; p<0.001) and low income (OR=1.89; 95% CI=1.21-2.97; p=0.004) were identified as independent risk factors. Conclusion: Approximately half of the parents exhibited inadequate or limited health literacy levels. Education and income were the strongest determinants of health literacy. These findings highlight the need to expand targeted health literacy interventions for populations with low socioeconomic status.
