Goto Eiko, Ishikawa Hirono, Okuhara Tsuyoshi, Kiuchi Takahiro
Department of Health Communication, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Email:
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2018 Dec 25;19(12):3409-3413. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2018.19.12.3409.
Background: Health literacy serves as a major barrier to effective preventive health behaviors, such as cancer screening, and this relationship has not been studied among insured women in Japan. We examined the relationship between health literacy and adherence to recommendations to undergo cancer screening, and health-related behaviors, among Japanese women who were insured by a health insurance society. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observation study of 670 insured Japanese women. For this, we used a self-administered questionnaire to assess environments, self-rated health status, cancer screening behavior, health-related behaviors (dietary behavior, exercise frequency, alcohol consumption and smoking behavior), and health literacy. Results: Among the participants, 206 completed the questionnaire (response rate, 30.7%). Fifty-seven had undergone breast and/or cervical cancer screening. The mean health literacy score was 3.44 (standard deviation = 0.68). In logistic regression models adjusted for age, self-rated economic status, and having a primary care physician, there was no statistically significant relationship between health literacy and adherence to recommendations to undergo cancer screening, and health-related behaviors. However, age and having a primary care physician were significantly associated with cancer screening and health-related behaviors. Health literacy was not found significantly associated with effective preventive health behaviors. Conclusions: The present study found no statistically significant relationship between health literacy and adherence to recommendations to undergo cancer screening and health-related behaviors. Rather, cancer screening and health-related behaviors were found related to medical support from physicians and those their own age. Further study is needed for exploring these associations among insured women in Japan.
健康素养是有效预防健康行为（如癌症筛查）的主要障碍，而日本参保女性中尚未对这种关系进行研究。我们调查了日本一家健康保险协会参保女性的健康素养与接受癌症筛查建议的依从性以及健康相关行为之间的关系。方法：我们对670名参保日本女性进行了横断面观察研究。为此，我们使用自填式问卷来评估环境、自我评定的健康状况、癌症筛查行为、健康相关行为（饮食行为、运动频率、饮酒和吸烟行为）以及健康素养。结果：参与者中，206人完成了问卷（回复率为30.7%）。57人接受过乳腺癌和/或宫颈癌筛查。健康素养平均得分为3.44（标准差 = 0.68）。在对年龄、自我评定的经济状况和有初级保健医生进行调整的逻辑回归模型中，健康素养与接受癌症筛查建议的依从性以及健康相关行为之间没有统计学上的显著关系。然而，年龄和有初级保健医生与癌症筛查和健康相关行为显著相关。未发现健康素养与有效的预防健康行为有显著关联。结论：本研究发现健康素养与接受癌症筛查建议的依从性以及健康相关行为之间没有统计学上的显著关系。相反，发现癌症筛查和健康相关行为与医生及同龄人提供的医疗支持有关。需要进一步研究以探索日本参保女性中的这些关联。
