The impact of COVID-19 on health literacy among Chinese rural residents

Abstract

Abstract The outbreak of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an opportunity to improve the health literacy of rural residents. This study aims to explore the levels of health literacy among rural residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate the effects of COVID-19-related variables on the health literacy of rural residents. A total of 882 rural residents aged 15–69 years in Shaanxi province participated in this study and completed the questionnaires about health literacy and COVID-19-related variables. These results showed that although overall health literacy and three aspects of health literacy among rural residents were low and lower than those of Chinese national residents, there was no significant difference in health literacy about safety and emergency between rural residents and Chinese national residents. Additionally, COVID-19-related variables significantly predicted health literacy (i.e. scientific health, safety and emergency and infectious disease prevention). Importantly, unlike other types of health literacy, the effect of a COVID-19-related variable (i.e. the frequency of exposure to news about the COVID-19 pandemic) on infectious disease prevention was only slightly smaller than the effect of high education on infectious disease prevention, and low education was no longer a significant predictor of infectious disease prevention. To conclude, rural residents in Shaanxi province have low health literacy. Education is a major factor affecting the health literacy of rural residents, and the frequency of exposure to news about the pandemic may compensate for the negative impact of low education on health literacy.