Abstract
Background: Health literacy skills play a pivotal role in adopting preventive behaviors. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed emphasis on health-oriented behaviors, and health literacy is considered one of the most influential indicators affecting health-centric behaviors. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the level of health literacy and the adoption of preventive behaviors against COVID-19 among students at Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz. Methods: In this study, the research population comprised 223 newly enrolled students from seven main faculties at Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz in the year 2022. Participants were randomly selected, and data collection instruments included a COVID-19 prevention questionnaire and a health literacy questionnaire for adults. The questionnaire links and study participation consent forms were sent to the participants. Inclusion criteria consisted of willingness and consent to participate in the study, and enrollment in the first year of study (either the first or second semester) in various academic levels at Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences. The exit criteria were defined as failure to respond to more than 5% of the questions. After data collection, descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient tests, and regression analysis were employed using SPSS software for data analysis. Results: The findings revealed that women, married individuals, employed participants, and those with underlying health conditions obtained higher scores in preventive behaviors against COVID-19 and health literacy. Regression coefficients indicated that a one-unit increase in health literacy scores could lead to a 0.439-unit increase in preventive behaviors against COVID-19. According to correlation analysis, a positive, direct, and significant correlation existed among all dimensions of health literacy and preventive behaviors against COVID-19 (P < 0.05), with the behavioral dimension being the only significant predictor of preventive behaviors. Specifically, a one-unit increase in the behavioral dimension score could result in a 0.373-unit increase in preventive behaviors against COVID-19 (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results showed that health literacy is directly related to COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Therefore, to promote preventive behaviors against infectious diseases, special attention should be paid to health literacy and its influential dimensions. Recognizing the importance of advancing health literacy across various dimensions can significantly contribute to the control and prevention of communicable diseases.