Abstract:

Objective: This study sort to ascertain the levels of information need, health literacy, and preventive-health behaviour among individuals in a rural community of Ikenne Local Government area in Nigeria and determine most significantly predictor of preventive-health behaviour.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study that utilized interviewer-administered validated 52-item questionnaire for data collection. Measures were information need on 51-point rating scale, health literacy on 27-point, and preventive-health behaviour on 48-point reference scales respectively. Study subjects were 268 consenting individuals selected by a multistage sampling technique in a rural community of Ikenne Local Government area, Nigeria. Data analysis was by computations of means and standard deviations and test of associations to determination predictor of the outcome variable. All statistical tests were at 5% level of significance.

Results: Majority (67.2%) of participants were females with 63.8% reporting appreciable level of formal education. Mean age of respondents was 32.2±13.11 years. Level of acquired information was 25.7±5.65 with a prevalence of 50.4%, health literacy mean score was 14.97±4.23 with a prevalence of 55.4%, while mean score of preventive-health behaviour was 23.37±7.27 with a prevalence of 48.7%. All levels of variables measured were considered average scores. Regression analysis showed that preventive-health behaviour was significantly dependent on health literacy (β = 0.397; t=5.07; p<0.001), and level of acquired information (β= -0.211; t= -2.696; p<0.008).

Conclusion: The study concludes that levels of acquired information, health literacy, and preventive-health behaviour observed are low. The observed high information-deficit would explain the observed inadequate preventive-health behaviour reported in the study.

Keywords: Health literacy, Information need, health-choices, Preventive-health practices.

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