Does health literacy affect women’s oral health self-care behavior? A cross-sectional study in health centers of Tabriz, North West of Iran

BACKGROUND and AIM: In public health, health literacy (HL) is rather a new conception. In this regard, oral health as a critical public health issue that affects women’s health. The objective of the present study was to determine oral health self-care behavior and its relationship with HL. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 232 women who referred to health centers of Tabriz, Iran, in 2015. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire including demographic characteristics, oral health behavior, and HL [assessed using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) scale]. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, independent samples t-test, and multiple regressions. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 33.4 years [standard deviation (SD) = 8.2; range = 18-49]. The mean ± SD of oral health self-care behavior and HL score was 4.4 ± 1.9 and 3.3 ± 2.0, respectively. Totally, 24.6% of the participants had limited HL (57/232). Only 19.4% (45/232) of participants brushed their teeth twice daily or more, and 28.9% (67/232) had dental check-up less than 6 months ago. The HL had positive association with oral health self-care behavior (β = 0.37, P < 0.001). In multiple linear regression models, oral health self-care behavior was associated with HL and education level (P < 0.001). HL and education level explained 19.5% of the variance in behavior. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that HL was a predictor of oral health self-care behavior in women. However, more studies are needed to confirm the results of this study. Hence, promoting oral health interventions and designing effective educational materials based on HL might be beneficial to improve oral health behavior and status.