COVID-19-Related Health Literacy of School Leaders in Hong Kong: A Cross-Sectional Study

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Sam S.S. Lau
  • Eric N.Y. Shum
  • Jackie O.T. Man
  • Ethan T.H. Cheung
  • Padmore Adusei Amoah
  • Angela Y.M. Leung
  • Kevin Dadaczynski
  • Orkan Okan

To date, we know little about COVID-19-related health literacy among school leaders, particularly in East Asia. The present study aimed to assess the level of COVID-19-related health literacy and associated factors (vaccine hesitancy, self-endangering behaviour, and work satisfaction) among school leaders in Hong Kong. A cross-sectional study of 259 school leaders was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic between April 2021 and February 2022. COVID-19-related health literacy using HLS-COVID-Q22, three subscales of self-endangering work behaviour scales (i.e., “extensification of work”, “intensification of work” and “quality reduction”), and two dimensions of Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) (i.e., psychosomatic complaints and exhaustion) were used. The study employed independent sample t-test, ANOVA, and multilinear regression models. The findings show that more than half (53.7%) of school leaders had insufficient health literacy. Participants with insufficient health literacy scored significantly higher in the following factors: exhaustion related to work situation (p = 0.029), psychosomatic complaints (p < 0.001), attitude about vaccination (i.e., less agree with vaccination) (p < 0.001), level of informing on COVID-19 related information (i.e., felt less informed) (p < 0.001), and level of confusion about COVID-19-related information (i.e., felt more confused) (p < 0.001). In a linear regression model predicting attitude about coronavirus vaccination, age (β, −0.188, 95% CI, −0.024, −0.005, p = 0.002) and health literacy (β, −0.395, 95% CI, −0.716, −0.361, p < 0.001) were the negative predictors, F(5, 214) = 11.859, p < 0.001. For the linear regression model adjusted for sex and age for predicting health literacy, the model was insignificant. Despite being a highly educated group, this study reveals that one in two Hong Kong school leaders have insufficient health literacy. Inadequate health literacy was strongly associated with a negative attitude about vaccination, low information, and confusion about COVID-19-related information. Additionally, insufficient health literacy was associated with the two secondary symptoms of burnouts. The study highlights an urgent need to develop intervention programmes to promote the COVID-19-specific as well as overall health literacy of the school leaders.

Original languageEnglish
Article number12790
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume19
Issue number19
Number of pages17
ISSN1661-7827
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.10.2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was funded by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. UGC/IDS(R) 23/20). Part of the data collection was also supported by the Research Collaboration and Development Fund of Lingnan University, Hong Kong (CF21A2). The funding body had no influence on the content of the paper and the publication process.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.

    Research areas

  • COVID-19, health literacy, Hong Kong, school heads, school principals, self-endangering work behaviour, vaccine hesitancy, work satisfaction
  • Health sciences
  • Psychology

Documents

DOI

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Effect of psychotherapy for depression on quality of life
  2. Wie viele Störche?
  3. Biodegradation of the Antineoplastics Vindesine, Vincristine, and Vinblastine and their Toxicity against Bacteria in the Aquatic Environment
  4. Erlebnismarketing auf Destinationswebsites
  5. Managing technology in society: The approach of constructive technology assessment. Edited by A. Rip, T.J. Misa and J. Schot, Cassell Academic, 1995, ISBN 1 85567 340 1, 361 pp.
  6. Partizipation von Studierenden in Studiengängen für beruflich Qualifizierte
  7. Eine bibliometrische Analyse
  8. Existenzgründung und Einkommen Freier Berufe
  9. Spring barley performance benefits from simultaneous shallow straw incorporation and top dressing as revealed by rhizotrons with resealable sampling ports
  10. Verfahren zur strategischen Planung bei Unsicherheit
  11. "Occupational eMental Health" in der Lehrergesundheit
  12. Das Medium in Turings Maschine
  13. Bessere Beratung der Versicherungsnehmer durch höhere Qualität der Versicherungsvermittler?
  14. Fence-sitters no more
  15. Deal or No Deal? Modelling the Impact of Brexit Uncertainty on UK Private Equity Activity
  16. Schuhhaus Görtz: Blended Learning für die Modetrends von morgen
  17. Achtundsechzig antikolonial
  18. Biogasanlagen
  19. Weihnachts-Song
  20. Eckpunkte zu einem Rahmencurriculum
  21. Briefe : 1932 - 1992 / Golo Mann
  22. Assessments verbinden, Interpretationen erweitern?
  23. Radverkehrsförderung 3.0
  24. Kulturelle Diversität in den Künsten zwischen Tradition und Zeitgenossenschaft
  25. Ende der Welt, Anfang des Bildes
  26. Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition alters growth responses of European beech (Fagus sylvativa L.) to climate change
  27. Zur motivatorischen Wirkung von Unternehmensvisionen