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Volume 8 Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education Public Health Congress 2018
July 23-24, 2018
July 23-24, 2018 Melbourne, Australia
5th World Congress on
Public Health, Nutrition & Epidemiology
An assessment of the relationship between m-health and health literacy typologies on foodborne
diseases in James town, Accra, Ghana
Sangeeta Gupta, Raymond Tutu, John Boateng, Janice Busingye and Sathya Elavarthi
Delaware State University, USA
Statement of the Problem: In this exploratory study, we examined the relationship between receipt of health information
on one’s mobile phone and their health literacy on foodborne diseases. In the developing world, diarrheal diseases are still
the leading cause of death among children under five years of age. Ghana experiences high incidence of foodborne illnesses
annually.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A survey questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 401 individuals
in James Town, Accra. ANOVA tests were undertaken to assess bivariate association between health literacy and m-health.
Multiple adjusted linear regression models were used to examine the relative effects of receipt of health information on mobile
phone on health literacy.
Result: The instrument was internally consistent (Cronbach alpha=0.754) and valid. At the bivariate stage of analyses, receipt of
health information on mobile phone, age of respondents and educational level of participants were statistically significant with
health literacy. The multiple regression models showed that receipt of health information on mobile phone and educational
level are predictors of health literacy. After controlling for age, we found that a unit increase in the extent of receipt of health
information is associated with 0.478 increases in health literacy score. Although, receipt of health information on mobile
phone loses its predictive power after controlling for both education and age, we found that a unit increase in one’s education
was associated with 0.644 increases in health literacy score.
Conclusion & Significance: The study demonstrated a direct positive relationship between receiving health information on
mobile phone and heath literacy controlling for covariates in the urban poor context. That means m-health programs that
use the mobile phone as health messaging outlet may, in fact, enhance health literacy among the poor. Future studies may
have to design examine specific health information and messages received and their association with different health literacy
typologies.
J Community Med Health Educ 2018, Volume 8
DOI: 10.4172/2161-0711-C3-039