Examination of health literacy and physical activity levels of university students

This study was conducted to examine the Health Literacy and International Activity Levels of University Students. A total of 408 students between the ages of 18-40 studying at Van Yuzuncu Yil University were included in the study. The screening model, one of the beautiful research methods, is used in the study. Participants are given the IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) short-form survey and Health Literacy short-form performance. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS; IBM Corp, Armonk, NY) was used for statistical analysis. Data were evaluated at the p<0.05 significance level. As a result of the analyses, a statistically significant difference in physical activity (PA) was found in favor of students from the Faculty of Sport Sciences and the Faculty of Dentistry (p<0.05). In terms of gender, male participants had higher physical activity scores than female participants (p<0.05). Regarding health literacy, students from the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Sport Sciences had significantly higher scores compared to students from other faculties (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was found in health literacy levels based on gender (p>0.05). In conclusion, it was observed that the physical activity levels of the university students participating in the study were at a good level, while there were differences in health literacy levels between faculties. This indicates that students in health-related fields tend to exhibit more conscious behaviors. The findings highlight the importance of educational programs in promoting healthy lifestyle habits among university students. In this context, it is recommended to expand awareness-raising initiatives on health literacy and to implement programs that encourage physical activity in higher education institutions.