A brief video-based health literacy intervention improves knowledge and attitudes among college students

Introduction: Health literacy training is not a required component of many health-related academic curricula at the college level, and little is known about optimal methods for teaching appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills. The aims of this study were to (a) assess the impact of a brief video-based health literacy intervention on undergraduate students’ perceived knowledge and attitudes; (b) evaluate the intervention’s effect on actual knowledge scores; (c) assess whether outcomes differed depending on whether or not students intended to pursue a career in healthcare and (d) evaluate user satisfaction and engagement with the intervention. Method: Data for this quasi-experimental, single-arm feasibility study were collected in 2021–2023 from a convenience sample of 1,014 undergraduate students enrolled on nutrition and health courses at a large, public university in the Northwestern USA. The intervention consisted of a 50-minute, video-based health literacy learning module. An online survey administered pre- and postintervention included a health literacy knowledge quiz and Likert-type-scale items on perceived knowledge, perceived ability, and conviction and confidence in health literacy skills. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and two-factor ANOVAs were conducted. Results: The intervention was associated with significant improvements in actual knowledge scores, perceived knowledge and ability, and conviction and confidence in health literacy skills for all survey items (all p < 0.001). Two-factor ANOVAs revealed that students intending to pursue healthcare careers showed larger gains in perceived knowledge ( p < 0.001) and perceived ability ( p = 0.033) compared with those with other career goals. Conclusion: These findings support the feasibility of improving health literacy using a brief, video-based module integrated into university curricula to address gaps in health literacy knowledge, especially among students pursuing health-related careers.