Health literacy has been variously defined and explained since the concept broke forth on the public health and social science scenes in the 1970s(7). Nutbeam defines health literacy as “The personal, cognitive and social skills which determine the ability of individuals to gain access to, understand, and use information to promote and maintain good health”(8). Health literacy is closely linked to but distinct from general literacy. The European Health Literacy Project (HLS-EU) states that “Health literacy is linked to literacy and entails people’s knowledge, motivation and competences to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information in order to make judgments and take decisions in everyday life concerning healthcare, disease prevention
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One of the reasons for health literacy gaining enormous public health significance in recent years is that, several relations have been found with various health outcomes. In a 2011 systematic review, it was found that poor health literacy was associated with a range of health outcomes including access to insurance, asthma self-care, self-efficacy, diabetes self-management, quality of life, mental and physical functioning, and a host of others(10). Low health literacy is also associated with higher costs for the health system(11). Low and limited health literacy are prevalent in countries where research is active around health literacy. Research is however, largely lacking on health literacy rates and possible relations to health outcomes and behaviours in the African sub region and in Ghana to be …show more content…
Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for NCDs but also contributes to overweight and obesity which are themselves risk factors for NCDs as well. The economic cost to physical inactivity globally is enormous. In 2013, physical inactivity was estimated to have cost 53.8 billion dollars worldwide in healthcare costs to households as well as to the public and private sector(14). Furthermore, mortality related to physical inactivity is responsible for productivity losses amounting to 13.7 billion dollars and physical inactivity accounts for 13.4 million DALYs globally(14). Population attributable risk analysis indicate that worldwide physical inactivity is responsible for about 6% of the burden of disease from cardiovascular heart disease (CHD), 7% of the burden of type 2 diabetes, 10% of breast cancer, 10% of colon cancer and also responsible for 9% of premature mortality(15). Habits for physical activity among young adults such as university students may have an influence on physical activity later in their adult life making it an important risk factor during this stage of life. Currently, there is a lack of existing evidence regarding prevalence of physical activity among university students in the sub-Saharan sub region and in Ghana
One of the reasons for health literacy gaining enormous public health significance in recent years is that, several relations have been found with various health outcomes. In a 2011 systematic review, it was found that poor health literacy was associated with a range of health outcomes including access to insurance, asthma self-care, self-efficacy, diabetes self-management, quality of life, mental and physical functioning, and a host of others(10). Low health literacy is also associated with higher costs for the health system(11). Low and limited health literacy are prevalent in countries where research is active around health literacy. Research is however, largely lacking on health literacy rates and possible relations to health outcomes and behaviours in the African sub region and in Ghana to be …show more content…
Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for NCDs but also contributes to overweight and obesity which are themselves risk factors for NCDs as well. The economic cost to physical inactivity globally is enormous. In 2013, physical inactivity was estimated to have cost 53.8 billion dollars worldwide in healthcare costs to households as well as to the public and private sector(14). Furthermore, mortality related to physical inactivity is responsible for productivity losses amounting to 13.7 billion dollars and physical inactivity accounts for 13.4 million DALYs globally(14). Population attributable risk analysis indicate that worldwide physical inactivity is responsible for about 6% of the burden of disease from cardiovascular heart disease (CHD), 7% of the burden of type 2 diabetes, 10% of breast cancer, 10% of colon cancer and also responsible for 9% of premature mortality(15). Habits for physical activity among young adults such as university students may have an influence on physical activity later in their adult life making it an important risk factor during this stage of life. Currently, there is a lack of existing evidence regarding prevalence of physical activity among university students in the sub-Saharan sub region and in Ghana