Predicting the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors of Turkish Adolescents Based on their Health Literacy and Self-Efficacy Levels

• Published in: Journal of pediatric nursing 2021-07, Vol.59, p.e20-e25
• Main Authors: Bektas, İlknur, Kudubeş, Aslı Akdeniz, Ayar, Dijle, Bektas, Murat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescents; Health literacy; Healthy lifestyle behaviors; Nursing; Self-efficacy
• ISSN: 0882-5963; 1532-8449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2021.01.016

The effects of Turkish adolescents' self-efficacy and health literacy on their health behaviors are examined in this study. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design with a sample population of 440 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 years old. The data were collected using a demographic data form and analyzed according to the Self-Efficacy Scale for Children, the Health Literacy Scale, and the Adolescent Lifestyle Profile. The regression analysis found that the self-efficacy and health literacy levels of adolescents predicted their healthy lifestyle behaviors (F = 141.813, p = 0.000). The self-efficacy and health literacy levels explained 41.9% of the healthy lifestyle behaviors of the subjects, with regression coefficients for self-efficacy and health literacy of 0.545 and 0.185, respectively. Self-efficacy among adolescents significantly predicted all the sub-dimensions of healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, positive life view, interpersonal relations, stress management, and spiritual health. Similarly, the health literacy levels predicted all the sub-dimensions except for physical activity and stress management. In this study, the adolescents' self-efficacy levels and their health literacy levels significantly explained their health behaviors. This finding suggests that increasing the self-efficacy and health literacy levels of adolescents should be increased to develop positive health behaviors among today's youth. Nurses should identify strategies to increase self-efficacy and health literacy among adolescents to protect and improve adolescent health behavior. •The self-efficacy was predicted the all sub-dimensions of healthy lifestyle behaviors of Turkish adolescents.•Health literacy significantly predicted healthy lifestyle behaviors sub-dimensions.•Health literacy significantly predicted some healthy lifestyle behaviors sub-dimensions.