Teenager dietary behavior and health literacy in China: influencing factors and coping strategies

Abstract

IntroductionUnderstanding health literacy is important for formulating health policies and conducting public health interventions. We aimed to evaluate the status quo and influencing factors of teenager dietary behavior and health literacy in China, to provide insights to the coping strategies of teenager health.Material and methodsFrom March 1 2021 to May 15, 2021, teenagers in four high schools in Bengbu, China were selected. The "Interactive Health Literacy Questionnaire for Chinese Teenagers "(IHLQCT) was used for assessing health literacy. Mixed linear models were used to analyze the relationship between dietary behavior patterns, IHLQCT and individual characteristics.ResultsA total of 1920 teenagers were included. The average score of IHLQCT was (72.45±8.99). Mixed linear analyses showed that parents' educational level (β=-0.11, 95%CI: -0.19, 0.05), monthly family income (β=0.08, 95%CI:0.02, 0.16), IHLQCT scores (β=0.15, 95%CI: 0.10, 0.23) were associated with the risky dietary behavior patterns in teenagers (all P<0.05). Only child (β=-0.12, 95%CI: -0.35, -0.09), parents' educational level (β=0.49, 95%CI:0.13, 0.95) monthly family income (β=0.14, 95%CI: 0.08, 0.38), IHLQCT scores (β=0.45, 95%CI: 0.24, 0.69) were associated with the protecting dietary behavior patterns (all P<0.05). Only child (β=-0.16, 95%CI: -0.41, -0.07), parents' educational level (β=0.49, 95%CI: 0.11, 0.82) monthly family income (β=0.17, 95%CI: 0.10, 0.41), risky dietary behavior patterns (β=0.34, 95%CI: 0.14, 0.83), protecting dietary behavior patterns (β=0.22, 95%CI: 0.07, 0.51) were associated with the IHLQCT (all P<0.05).ConclusionsTeenager dietary behavior is closely associated with health literacy. There are differences in the dietary behaviors of teenagers under different family characteristics in China.