Health literacy dimensions as predictors of self-care agency among nursing students.

Abstract

Self-care agency refers to the individuals' ability to recognize their needs to identify and perform self-care actions. However, the literature regarding the predictors of self-care agency among nursing students is limited. More specifically, the association between the dimensions of health literacy and self-care agency is lacking. This study was conducted to investigate whether nursing students' health literacy predicts self-care agency. A cross-sectional design was used. A total of 178 nursing students participated in this study. The participants completed the Health Literacy Questionnaire and the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale-Revised. Bivariate correlations and multiple linear regression (Enter method) analyses were performed. Bivariate correlations revealed that the nine Health Literacy Questionnaire scales had moderate, statistically significant correlations with self-care agency (Pearson's r=0.31 to 0.46, p<.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the model was statistically significant: F(9, 168)=8.19, p<.001. The adjusted R2 was 0.268, meaning that the model explained 26.8% of the outcome variance (self-care agency). The following scales (i.e., dimensions) of health literacy predicted more than a quarter of nursing students' self-care agency: "Actively managing my health," "Social support for health," "Navigating the healthcare system," and "Ability to find good health information".