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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1499349
This article is part of the Research Topic Innovative Teaching and Learning in Health Education and Promotion View all 12 articles

The environmental health literacy level was effectively improved of residents in Shaanxi Province, China, 2022

Provisionally accepted
Feidan Deng Feidan Deng 1,2,3Xinyue Wen Xinyue Wen 1,3Guoqiang Dong Guoqiang Dong 1,2,3Xinying Wang Xinying Wang 1,3Ruixuan Zhu Ruixuan Zhu 3Huifang He Huifang He 1,3Lichun Qiao Lichun Qiao 1,3Jing Han Jing Han 1,2,3*
  • 1 Global Health Institute, School of Medicine, Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
  • 2 Ordnance Industrial Hygiene Research Institute, Xi'an, China
  • 3 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Environmental health literacy (EHL) aims to enable individuals to make informed choices to reduce health risks and protect the environment. Objectives: To assess the EHL of residents in Shaanxi Province, China in 2022 and analyze the influencing factors. Methods: This study was a 2022 cross-sectional survey in Shaanxi Province, China, involving 2,237 residents aged 15 to 69. Participants were selected using a multi-stage random sampling method and surveyed through questionnaires in six cities. The weighted rate was calculated using the seventh National Census data, and influential factors were analyzed using multifactor logistic regression. Results: According to the survey, the overall EHL level of Shaanxi residents in 2022 was 15.47%. The first-level classification literacy level of EHL was ranked in descending order: basic skills (21.64%), basic concepts (17.93%), and basic knowledge (14.44%). The EHL level was influenced by age, education level, and occupation. People with higher education and certain occupations were more likely to possess EHL, while older individuals and those with lower education levels, especially in rural areas, were less likely to possess it. Conclusions: The level of EHL among residents in Shaanxi Province in 2022 was higher than in 2020. The findings showed that targeted health education for low EHL groups effectively reduced urban-rural disparities and improved adolescents' EHL levels.

    Keywords: Health Science Center, Influencing factors, Shaanxi province, Urban-rural gap, Health Education

    Received: 20 Sep 2024; Accepted: 26 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Deng, Wen, Dong, Wang, Zhu, He, Qiao and Han. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jing Han, Global Health Institute, School of Medicine, Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China

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