Health Literacy with Self-Protective Behaviors from Coronavirus 2019 of Agricultural Sector Informal Older Workers: A Case Study of Ban Pho Subdistrict, Mueang district, Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Abstract

     Objective: This research was descriptive and studied health literacy, self-protective behaviors, and the relationship between health literacy and self-protective behaviors regarding Coronavirus 2019 infection among among Agricultural Sector Informal Older Workers.

     Methods: The sample consisted of 380 agricultural Sector Informal Older Workers. A questionnaire was used for data collection, measuring health literacy and self-protective behaviors against Coronavirus 2019, with confidence values of 0.98 and 0.91, respectively. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with Pearson correlation coefficients indicating a significance level of 0.001.

     Results: Half of the samples (52.37%) were females, with 52.19% aged between 45-59 years. Additionally, 83.42% had graduated from primary school, having worked in agriculture for 10-19 years. Moreover, 62.37% had previously been infected with the COVID-19 virus. The level of health literacy for self-protection from Coronavirus 2019, including access to health information and services, understanding health information and services sufficient for practice, monitoring health information and services, communication and social support, and self-health management, was high. The level of self-protective behaviors against Coronavirus 2019 was also good. The relationships between health literacy and self-protective behaviors against Coronavirus 2019, including access to health information and services, understanding health information and services sufficient for practice, and monitoring health information and services, were found to be at a low level of positive relationships (r = 0.308, 0.360, and 0.377, p-value < 0.001). Communication and social support, as well as self-health management, were found to have a medium level of positive relationships (r = 0.470 and 0.539, p-value < 0.001). The overview of health literacy was found to be at a medium level of positive relationships (r = .442, p <.01).