The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Alcohol Drinking Behavior in the Area of Ban Khlong Chang Sub-District Health Promoting Hospital, Nabon District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

This survey research aimed to assess the level of health literacy, the degree of alcohol consumption behavior, and to examine the relationship between health literacy and alcohol consumption behavior among residents in the area served by the Ban Khlong Chang Sub-District Health Promoting Hospital, Nabon District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. A sample of 235 participants was selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using a health literacy assessment and an alcohol consumption assessment and analyzed with descriptive statistics and Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. The study results indicated that each health literacy skill—Access, Comprehension, Communication, Decision-Making, and Application was at a sufficient level (61.70%, 54.04%, 51.06%, 55.74%, and 55.32%, respectively). Regarding alcohol consumption behavior, 41.70% of participants exhibited low-risk drinking behavior, followed by 39.15% who exhibited moderate-risk drinking behavior. A significant negative correlation was found between all health literacy skills and alcohol consumption behavior (p < .001), including Access (r = -0.464), Comprehension (r = -0.539), Communication (r = -0.622), Decision-Making (r = -0.605), and Application (r = -0.594). Therefore, developing a health literacy training curriculum is recommended to enable individuals to make informed decisions regarding their drinking behavior, ultimately leading to a reduction in alcohol-related risks