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

Abstract

PurposeThe effects of Turkish adolescents' self-efficacy and health literacy on their health behaviors are examined in this study. Design and methodThis 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. ResultsThe 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. ConclusionsIn 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. Practice implicationsNurses should identify strategies to increase self-efficacy and health literacy among adolescents to protect and improve adolescent health behavior.