Abstract
Health literacy (HL) is hypothesized to be associated with physical literacy (PL), but studies have rarely examined this association in adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the possible relationships between PL and physical activity levels (PAL), with HL in high-school adolescents. The participants in this cross-sectional study were high school students (n=204; 100 females; 16 to 19 years of age). Variables included evaluation of the HL, PL, and PAL. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents was used for analysis of the PAL. PL was assessed by the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy, and the Physical Literacy Assessment of Youth (PLAYself). HL was evaluated using the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate correlations were calculated for the total sample and stratified by gender. Boys had greater PAL than girls (t test =6.76, p<0.001), but no significant gender differences were found in PL and HL. The results showed no significant association between PL and HL in boys. PL was significantly associated with HL in girls (17% of the explained variance, p<0.001), with PLAYself being a significant partial regressor (Beta =0.38, p<0.001). Due to the established gender-specific associations between HL and PL, in developing and implementing educational strategies aimed at improving PL and HL in adolescents, a gender-specific approach is warranted.
Published Version
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