The impact of personal health literacy and school health literacy environments on schoolteachers' health outcomes

BackgroundThe relationship between personal health literacy and health outcomes is clear, but the role of health literacy environments is often overlooked. This study examined associations between personal health literacy, school health literacy environments and health outcomes among schoolteachers....

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Main Authors: Mingyang Yu, Rongmei Liu, Qiuping Zhao, Junfang Wang, Yuxi Bai, Xiaomo Yang, Shuaibin Liu, Orkan Okan, Bing Hua, Nengguang Dai, Suyan Xu, Shuaijun Guo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1570615/full
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author Mingyang Yu
Rongmei Liu
Qiuping Zhao
Junfang Wang
Yuxi Bai
Xiaomo Yang
Shuaibin Liu
Orkan Okan
Bing Hua
Nengguang Dai
Suyan Xu
Suyan Xu
Shuaijun Guo
Shuaijun Guo
author_facet Mingyang Yu
Rongmei Liu
Qiuping Zhao
Junfang Wang
Yuxi Bai
Xiaomo Yang
Shuaibin Liu
Orkan Okan
Bing Hua
Nengguang Dai
Suyan Xu
Suyan Xu
Shuaijun Guo
Shuaijun Guo
author_sort Mingyang Yu
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundThe relationship between personal health literacy and health outcomes is clear, but the role of health literacy environments is often overlooked. This study examined associations between personal health literacy, school health literacy environments and health outcomes among schoolteachers.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 7,364 schoolteachers in Zhengzhou, China. Personal health literacy was measured by the Health Literacy Population Survey 2019–2021 (excellent/sufficient/problematic/inadequate) and school health literacy environments were measured by the Organisational Health Literacy of School Questionnaire (supportive/less supportive). Health outcomes included health status (poor/good), health-compromising behaviours (yes/no), health service use (yes/no), and healthcare cost (≥RMB 1,000/ <RMB 1,000).ResultsOver half of teachers had inadequate or problematic health literacy. Teachers with inadequate health literacy had higher odds of poor health status, health-compromising behaviour, health service use, and high healthcare cost than those with excellent health literacy. Similarly, teachers who perceived less supportive school health literacy environments had higher odds of poor health outcomes.ConclusionBoth personal health literacy and school health literacy environments are important to schoolteachers' health outcomes. Educational programs and organisational change are needed to improve personal health literacy and school environments to improve schoolteachers' health and wellbeing.
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spelling doaj-art-8cf1d7d224484cb389eea6d94bec3de32025-08-20T02:30:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-05-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15706151570615The impact of personal health literacy and school health literacy environments on schoolteachers' health outcomesMingyang Yu0Rongmei Liu1Qiuping Zhao2Junfang Wang3Yuxi Bai4Xiaomo Yang5Shuaibin Liu6Orkan Okan7Bing Hua8Nengguang Dai9Suyan Xu10Suyan Xu11Shuaijun Guo12Shuaijun Guo13Hypertension Prevention and Treatment Centre of Henan Province, Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaHypertension Prevention and Treatment Centre of Henan Province, Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaHypertension Prevention and Treatment Centre of Henan Province, Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaHypertension Prevention and Treatment Centre of Henan Province, Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaHypertension Prevention and Treatment Centre of Henan Province, Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaHypertension Prevention and Treatment Centre of Henan Province, Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaCommunity Health Centre of Chaohe, Zhengzhou, ChinaSchool of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanyZhengzhou Community Health Association, Zhengzhou, ChinaGrassroots Health and Health Department, Health Commission of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Pharmacy, Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Pharmacy, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaCentre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaBackgroundThe relationship between personal health literacy and health outcomes is clear, but the role of health literacy environments is often overlooked. This study examined associations between personal health literacy, school health literacy environments and health outcomes among schoolteachers.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 7,364 schoolteachers in Zhengzhou, China. Personal health literacy was measured by the Health Literacy Population Survey 2019–2021 (excellent/sufficient/problematic/inadequate) and school health literacy environments were measured by the Organisational Health Literacy of School Questionnaire (supportive/less supportive). Health outcomes included health status (poor/good), health-compromising behaviours (yes/no), health service use (yes/no), and healthcare cost (≥RMB 1,000/ <RMB 1,000).ResultsOver half of teachers had inadequate or problematic health literacy. Teachers with inadequate health literacy had higher odds of poor health status, health-compromising behaviour, health service use, and high healthcare cost than those with excellent health literacy. Similarly, teachers who perceived less supportive school health literacy environments had higher odds of poor health outcomes.ConclusionBoth personal health literacy and school health literacy environments are important to schoolteachers' health outcomes. Educational programs and organisational change are needed to improve personal health literacy and school environments to improve schoolteachers' health and wellbeing.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1570615/fullpersonal health literacyorganisational health literacyhealth outcomesteachersHLS19-Q12
spellingShingle Mingyang Yu
Rongmei Liu
Qiuping Zhao
Junfang Wang
Yuxi Bai
Xiaomo Yang
Shuaibin Liu
Orkan Okan
Bing Hua
Nengguang Dai
Suyan Xu
Suyan Xu
Shuaijun Guo
Shuaijun Guo
The impact of personal health literacy and school health literacy environments on schoolteachers' health outcomes
Frontiers in Public Health
personal health literacy
organisational health literacy
health outcomes
teachers
HLS19-Q12
title The impact of personal health literacy and school health literacy environments on schoolteachers' health outcomes
title_full The impact of personal health literacy and school health literacy environments on schoolteachers' health outcomes
title_fullStr The impact of personal health literacy and school health literacy environments on schoolteachers' health outcomes
title_full_unstemmed The impact of personal health literacy and school health literacy environments on schoolteachers' health outcomes
title_short The impact of personal health literacy and school health literacy environments on schoolteachers' health outcomes
title_sort impact of personal health literacy and school health literacy environments on schoolteachers health outcomes
topic personal health literacy
organisational health literacy
health outcomes
teachers
HLS19-Q12
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1570615/full
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