Relationship Between Health Anxiety and Compliance Preventive Behaviors with Health Literacy in the COVID-19 Process

Abstract

Objective: Health literacy levels of individuals are very important during epidemic periods such as COVID-19. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between adaptation to preventive behavior and health anxiety with health literacy level in the COVID-19 process. 
 Material and Methods: This study is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The data were collected between January and April 2021 via Google Drive Form. The study involved 428 people who met the inclusion criteria working in a Provincial Municipality in north-west Turkey. The data were collected using Socio-demographic and compliance to preventive behavior data form, “Turkey Health Literacy Scale” and “Health Anxiety Scale”.
 Results: Participants in the study were found to have adequate health literacy (35.51 ± 7.13). It was observed that the level of adequate health literacy of individuals during the COVID-19 process were effective complying with preventive behavior. It was found that there was a significant negative correlation between the health literacy score averages and the health anxiety score averages (r= -0.459, p=0.000).
 Conclusion: Health literacy education and counseling services especially by those working in the field of primary health care and public health, can reduce health anxiety by increasing the adaptation of individuals to preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 period.