The Effect of a Health Literacy Program on Alcohol Use among Medical Students in Hubei Province, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Health literacy (HL) plays an important role in alcohol consumption. Improving alcohol-related HL offers an integrated approach to prevent and reduce high-risk alcohol use. This study aimed to determine the effects of a HL program (HLP) on medical students’ drinking behaviors. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 2023 to January 2024 among medical students. One hundred and four students were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 52) and control (n = 52) groups. The intervention group received the HLP over six sessions, while the control group received standard health education. Data were collected through interviews using a structured interview questionnaire. Independent t-tests, paired sample t-tests, Chi-squared tests, and Chi-square for trend were applied for statistical analysis. Results: Following the HLP, the intervention group exhibited a significant increase in the mean total HL score, cognitive skills, access skills, communication skills, self-management skills, media skills, and decision skills compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the intervention group showed a significant decrease in the number of harmful drinkers compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: HLPs are effective in improving HL and reducing alcohol consumption among medical students. Our findings suggest incorporating HLPs into adolescents’ health education activities.