Assessing environmental health literacy and related factors among university students

ABSTRACT AGHA, M. 2024. ASSESSING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH LITERACY AND RELATED FACTORS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. YEDITEPE UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE OF HEALTH SCIENCE, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. MASTER OF SCIENCE. ISTANBUL, TURKEY. The main aim of the study is to assess knowledge, attitude, and behavior in relation to three environmental health factor, assess the consciousness and awareness level of students towards Environmental Health terminology, and highlight the importance of surrounding environmental hazards. Moreover, to highlight and spark a discussion about EHL. The study involving 206 students aged between 18-36 years old. who are studying in the Spring semester of the 2022-2023 and Fall Semester of 2023-2024 academic year. The research study is a cross-sectional study applying convenience sampling method and it is conducted at the Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey. Four faculties were considered in the study. Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Health sciences, Faculty of Engineering, and Faculty of Law students. In data collection method all participants have been informed that they have accepted to participate in the study voluntarily by filling out the online form. They have completed an online questionnaire by (google form) prior to the study after seeking the (instructors and lecturers) permission. The questionnaire is divided into two parts: the first part aimed to collect socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education level, and faculty..), the second part evaluated the EHL level based on the "core questions for assessment" of knowledge, attitude, and behaviour of students. All obtained data analyzed with IBM SPSS statistical 26.0. program. numeric variables; with mean, categorical variables represented as numbers (n) and percentages (%). Normality tests were applied and data was not normally distributed. Therefore, non-parametric Independent T-tests were applied, Mann-Whitney test for two groups and Kruskal Wallis test for three groups and more to analyze the data. Additionally, Spearman correlation was used to find associations between variables. Median values were used to estimate high and low scores for Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior. Scores below the Median were classified as low, while those above the Median were classified as high. The translation and back translation process were performed for the scales that are being used. A panel of two expert doctors of "Native Turkish" with a knowledge of the Turkish language, translated both instruments from English into Turkish and reversed the process and form the Turkish version of the instrument. The reliability of the questionnaire were assessed either. Cronbach's alpha has been used to assess the reliability of the scales that are being used in this study. The results of the study highlight the benefits of understanding the concept of Environmental Health Literacy among Turkish adult students, understand the importance of potential risk of the exposures, decrease of the exposure, and better health of individuals and community. Generally, the study provide valuable insights into the factors that impact on EHL among university students. While there are consistent levels of knowledge and attitudes across age groups and educational levels, significant gender differences and faculty-specific variations highlight the need for targeted educational strategies. By addressing these disparities and promoting comprehensive EHL education, universities may significantly contribute to developing environmentally literate and responsible individuals. The study on Environmental Health Literacy among university students provides valuable insights into the factors influencing their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards environmental issues. It reveals consistent levels of EHL across different age groups and educational backgrounds, suggesting a universal baseline of concern for environmental issues among students. Keywords: Literacy, Health Literacy, Environmental Health Literacy, Environmental Literacy, Environmental risks, knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, air, food, water, communication.