Adequate Health Literacy Levels Among Future Nurses

33^rd International Conference on Nursing Education and Research

September 22-23, 2025 | Webinar

Prof.Valbona Alliu*¹, Prof.Asoc Rudina Pirushi², Prof.Asoc Valbona Bilali²

University of Medicine,Faculty of Medical Technical Sciences,Tirana,Albania

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Objective: Adequate health literacy levels among future nurses is an essential prerequisite to provide high-quality care to patients and the general population. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of health literacy (HL) among nursing students in Albania. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in 2024 at the Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences of Tirana Medical University in Albania. The study included a representative sample of 405 bachelor nursing students (281, or 69.4% females), with an overall response rate of 78%. Data collection consisted of self-administration of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q), in addition to information on sociodemographic factors and behavioural characteristics. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the distribution of HL levels by sociodemographic factors and behavioural characteristics of the students. Overall, 192 (47.4%) students had “sufficient and/or excellent” HL levels, whereas 213 (52.6%) students exhibited “inadequate and/or problematic” HL levels. The prevalence of “sufficient and/or excellent” HL was higher among: females than males (59.8% vs. 19.4%, respectively, P<0.001); third-year students compared with their first-year counterparts (65.2% vs. 22.7%, respectively, P<0.001); students from urban areas than those from rural areas (56.8% vs. 38.3%, respectively, P<0.001); students from a higher social status than those from a lower social status (63.2% vs. 18.5%, respectively, P<0.001); students from high-income families than those from low-income families (55.9% vs. 21.8%, respectively, P<0.001); never smoking students compared to their ever smoking counterparts (51.2% vs. 32.9%, respectively, P=0.003); and among students who never drank alcohol compared to those who consumed alcohol. Conclusions: Our findings indicate a low HL level among nursing students in Albania, which is a cause of concern. The prevalence of “inadequate and/or problematic” HL was significantly higher among males, students from rural areas, and those from a lower socioeconomic background. Furthermore, we evidenced a considerably higher prevalence of “inadequate and/or problematic” HL among students engaging in unhealthy behaviours such as smoking and alcohol consumption. Keywords: Albania, behavioural factors, health literacy, nursing students, sociodemographic factors

Biography :

Mrs.Valbona ALLIU was born in Tirana, Albania. She is a Lecturer in the Department of nursing ,Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences Tirana,Albania. She won in 2016 her Doctorate in Nursing Sciences in Tirana, Albania.She has participated in several trainings,national and international conferences and she has published various scientific articles in the field on nursing care.