Adolescent Health Literacy in Hungary: A Cross-National Perspective Using the HELMA-H Instrument

Background and Objective: Health literacy refers to the ability to access, understand, and apply health-related information to make informed health decisions. It is a critical determinant of individual and public health. This study aimed to assess the health literacy of Hungarian adolescents using the HELMA-H, the Hungarian adaptation of the Health Literacy Measure for Adolescents (HELMA), and to explore its associations with sociodemographic factors. Findings were also compared with results from similar studies conducted in Asia.Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study involved ۷۴۷ students aged ۱۶–۱۹ (۶۶.۸% female) from high schools in Eger, Northern Hungary. Data were collected between January and February ۲۰۲۲ through an anonymous, self-administered online survey. The Questionnaire included demographic questions and the validated HELMA-H instrument (Cronbach’s α = ۰.۹۶). Due to non-normal data distribution, nonparametric tests (Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis) were used. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS ۲۵, with significance set at α = ۰.۰۵.Results: The mean HELMA score was ۷۳.۹۲ ± ۱۶.۶۶, indicating an "adequate" level of health literacy – higher than scores reported in comparable Asian studies. Maternal education was significantly associated with adolescents’ health literacy, and paternal education also had a notable effect. No gender differences were observed, but ۱۲th-grade students scored significantly higher than ۱۱th graders.Conclusion: The study confirms the validity of the HELMA-H tool in a European context and highlights cultural and regional influences on adolescent health literacy. It underlines the importance of addressing sociodemographic factors – especially parental education – in the design of targeted health education programs to improve adolescent health literacy in Hungary. Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/۴.۰/

کلیدواژه ها:

Adolescent ، health education ، Health Literacy ، HELMA-H ، Socioeconomic factors