Health Education and Health Promotion

en Relationship between Health Literacy and Health Information Avoidance in University Students Aims: Health literacy is a crucial component in enabling individuals to make informed decisions, recognize health risks, and prevent diseases at both personal and community levels. Despite its importance, some individuals consciously avoid seeking health-related information. This study aimed to explore the relationship between health literacy and health information avoidance among university students. <a name=_Hlk203814298>Instrument & Methods</a>: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 involving 369 students from Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. Participants were selected using a random stratified proportional sampling technique. Data collection was carried out through two questionnaires on health literacy and health information avoidance. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Findings: Nearly 50% of the students demonstrated a satisfactory level of health literacy, with 7.25% exhibiting a high degree, while less than 25% revealed a somewhat insufficient or inadequate level of health literacy. Despite students displaying a robust comprehension of health information, their proficiency in applying this knowledge for decision-making purposes was notably deficient. Regarding health information avoidance, a substantial majority of participants (93.2%) exhibited a moderate degree of avoidance. A significant inverse correlation was established between health literacy and health information avoidance. Furthermore, a notable association was identified between gender and academic year in relation to health literacy. Conclusion: Health literacy is essential for improving health outcomes and minimizing disparities, particularly among students, where lower health literacy correlates with higher health information avoidance. Health Literacy,Holistic Health,Information Avoidance,Health Promotion, 375 380 http://hehp.modares.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-78058-4&slc_lang=en&sid=4 F. Baji 1003194753284600371086 1003194753284600371086 No Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran M. Rahimizadeh 1003194753284600371087 1003194753284600371087 No Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Z. Sabaghinejad 1003194753284600371088 1003194753284600371088 Yes Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran