The Effect of Health Literacy on Health Promotion: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: Health literacy is a critical concept that covers the competencies of individuals to access, understand, evaluate, and apply health information and directly affects health behaviors. This study examines the impact of health literacy levels of individuals living in Konya province on health promotion. Methods: The study is cross-sectional and conducted between September and October 2024. Data were collected from a total of 1,067 adult participants. Demographic information forms, the Health Literacy Scale, and the Health Promoting and Protective Behaviors Scale were used as data collection tools. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, correlation, and linear regression analyses were applied to analyze the data. Results: The health literacy levels of the participants differed significantly according to age, education, and income status but not according to gender and marital status. In addition, regarding health promotion, there was no significant difference in marital status and educational status, but there was a difference in gender, age, and income status. A positive and significant relationship was found between health literacy and health promotion (r=0.259, p