The Correlation Between Information Literacy and Health Literacy Among Physical Education Teachers (Case Study: Gilan Province Department of Education)
Keywords:
Health, information literacy, teachersAbstract
Health literacy refers to an individual’s capacity to acquire, interpret, and comprehend essential information from educational concepts in order to make appropriate decisions. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between information literacy and health literacy among physical education teachers in the Gilan Province Department of Education. This research employed a descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional design, conducted in 2020. A total of 175 physical education teachers were selected as the sample. Standardized questionnaires on information literacy by Boroujeni et al., and the Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA) questionnaire were used. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was applied to assess the normality of the data, and both descriptive and inferential statistical tests were employed to analyze the data. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS and PLS software. The path coefficient between information literacy and health literacy among physical education teachers in the Gilan Province Department of Education was found to be 0.91, indicating a positive and significant correlation. Furthermore, the significance levels of the path coefficients between health literacy and age, employment status, and educational attainment (t = 1.97), as well as between information literacy and age, employment status, and educational attainment (t = 1.98), suggest a statistically significant relationship between the variables (P < 0.05). It appears that information literacy emphasizes information-related skills ranging from the acquisition to the evaluation and application of information. Enhancing information literacy skills among teachers can also pave the way for the improvement of their health literacy.
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