The relationship between health literacy and exercise beliefs and affecting factors

Aim: Regular and age-appropriate physical activity is one of the essential components of a healthy lifestyle and provides social, physical, and mental benefits to all individuals. Studies show that the recommended levels of physical activity outlined in guidelines worldwide are unmet. Health literacy refers to the cognitive and social skills that enable individuals to access, understand, and use health information. Examining health literacy levels in conjunction with the Exercise Health Belief Model Scale can raise awareness of individuals' missing behaviors, allowing them to control and change those behaviors while also guiding physicians in identifying and addressing knowledge gaps. Method: In our cross-sectional analytical study, a 67-item questionnaire consisting of a sociodemographic information survey prepared by researchers, the Turkey Health Literacy Scale-32, and the Exercise Health Belief Model Scale was administered to voluntary individuals visiting the Family Medicine Polyclinics of the Department of Family Medicine at Karadeniz Technical University and Ortahisar Beşirli Education Family Medicine Unit between January 2024 and March 2024. The sample size was calculated to be 365, and the study included all individuals aged 18-65 who were not health professionals. Results: Participants were composed of 45.6% (n=166) males, 48.1% (n=175) were university graduates, and it was observed that 53.6% (n=194) of the participants did not engage in exercise. Among the participants, 19.80% had insufficient health literacy (n=72), 41.20% had problematic limited health literacy (n=150), 21.40% had adequate health literacy (n=78), and 17.60% had excellent health literacy (n=64). As the health literacy index score increased, it was found that the average sub-dimension scores related to individuals exercise health beliefs [general health values (p=0.004), beliefs that the benefits of exercise outweigh the costs (p=0.04), beliefs that exercise reduces disease risk (threats) (p=0.01), and beliefs about the severity of not exercising (p=0.01)] significantly increased. Conclusion: We believe that our study, which demonstrates that the level of health literacy is lower than it should be and that individuals' exercise health beliefs significantly increase as their health literacy level rises, can serve as a guide for physicians in imparting healthy attitudes and behaviors to individuals within the scope of preventive medicine. Keywords: Health Literacy, Health Belief Model, Exercise, Physical Inactivity