CHS Publishes New Research on Health Literacy in Armenia
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YEREVAN, Armenia — The Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (CHS) of the American University of Armenia (AUA) has published an article on health literacy in Armenia in PLOS ONE, an open-access, high impact peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Authored by Zhanna Sargsyan, M.S. (MPH ’18); Zaruhi Grigoryan, B.S. (MPH ’15); Serine Sahakyan, R.N. (MPH ’15); Anya Agopian, Ph.D.; and Tsovinar Harutyunyan, Ph.D. (MPH ’99), the article, titled “Socio-demographic determinants of infectious disease-related health literacy and knowledge in Armenia: Results from a nationwide survey,” presents findings from a 2021 nationwide survey among 3,483 adults. The study explored the levels of infectious disease-related health literacy and knowledge among Armenian adults and examined the underlying socio-demographic factors.
The analysis revealed that while overall infectious disease-related health literacy scores were high, knowledge scores were lower, indicating a gap between perceived understanding and actual knowledge. In this study, health literacy refers to the confidence in ability to access, understand, and use information to make informed health decisions. For instance, it involves knowing where to find information about a disease and understanding medical instructions. Health knowledge, on the other hand, is the actual information and facts one knows about a disease, such as symptoms, causes, and prevention methods.
Socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, education, and economic status significantly influenced both literacy and knowledge levels. Older adults and those with lower education and economic status exhibited lower scores, highlighting the need for targeted educational interventions.
The study findings emphasized the necessity of tailored health awareness raising, especially aimed at older adults and lower socioeconomic groups. Policymakers are urged to create and implement specific campaigns to close the gap between understanding and knowledge. Boosting health literacy and knowledge on a national scale should include the participation of various stakeholders, such as the general public, community organizations, healthcare facilities, media, academia, and the business sector. Improved infectious disease-related literacy and knowledge will enable communities to adopt appropriate prevention practices, safeguarding themselves and the broader Armenian population. Addressing these disparities through focused interventions can empower communities to better protect themselves and improve health outcomes.
The paper was published based on a study conducted within the scope of the “Support to control COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreaks” project. The latter aimed to strengthen national capacity to control COVID-19 and other communicable disease outbreaks and emergencies of potential public health concern, advancing public health emergency preparedness and response strategy in Armenia. The project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of the AUA CHS and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States government.
The AUA Turpanjian College of Health Sciences works actively to improve population health and health services in Armenia and the region through interdisciplinary education and development of health professionals to be leaders in public health, nursing, health services research and evaluation, and health care delivery and management.