Latent Profiles of Coronavirus-Related Health Literacy in Chinese Residents and Its Related Predictors

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the latent profiles of coronavirus-related health literacy among Chinese residents and investigate whether some predictive factors are linked with different latent subgroups of coronavirus-related health literacy. Design/Setting: This study was a cross-sectional survey conducted among Chinese residents beginning in April 2020. Participants: A total of 1610 Chinese residents aged 15 to 69 years were involved and were asked to complete the questionnaire about coronavirus-related health literacy, demographic information, and COVID-19 pandemic-related information. Main Outcome Measure: Examined the latent profiles of coronavirus-related health literacy and explored the influencing factors of different profiles of coronavirus-related health literacy. Results: The results showed that there were 3 latent subgroups, namely, high coronavirus-related health literacy (45.53%), medium coronavirus-related health literacy (47.76%), and low coronavirus-related health literacy (6.71%). Logistic regression analysis showed that gender, education, and the frequency of exposure to news about the pandemic could predict group membership. Conclusions: Most Chinese residents have medium coronavirus-related health literacy. Education is an important factor that has a long-term stable influence on coronavirus-related health literacy, and the frequency of exposure to news about the pandemic is a factor that can improve coronavirus-related health literacy in a short time.