Investigating the Effect of Health Information Literacy on Cosmetics Use Among Female Students at Arak University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Background: Despite the detrimental effects of excessive cosmetic use on both physical and mental health, a considerable number of individuals continue to utilize these products. This study aimed to examine the level of cosmetic use among female students at Arak University of Medical Sciences in relation to their health information literacy. Methods: To this end, 250 female students of Arak University of Medical Sciences were investigated in this cross-sectional analytical study. Following sample selection, a protocol was employed to capture demographic information, including the precise age, education level, and source of health information. Furthermore, two questionnaires were implemented to evaluate cosmetic usage and health information literacy. Finally, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was implemented to analyze the correlation between cosmetic utilization and health literacy. Results: The results revealed an inverse, though non-significant, relationship between the amount of cosmetics use and health literacy (r=-0.087, P=0.235). Similarly, the correlation between cosmetic use and the subdomains of accessibility, comprehension, decision-making, and use of health information was negative, while it was positive between the cosmetics use and reading and evaluation skills. Nevertheless, none of these correlations were statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Overall, higher health literacy may be associated with lower levels of cosmetic use, although this relationship was not statistically significant. Given that cosmetic usage patterns are directly related to health, it is recommended that further research focus on this issue.