Predictors of Nurses’ Intention and Behavior in Using Health Literacy Strategies in Patient Education Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

BACKGROUND: Health literacy is one of the most important priorities for improving health care quality through enhancing patient-provider communication. Implementing health literacy strategies enable nurses to provide information and instructions for patients in a manner that is more commensurate and understandable. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting nurses’ intention to implement health literacy strategies in patient education based on theory of planned behavior. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done on 148 nurse practitioners of AL-Zahra educational hospital in Isfahan, Iran, using a descriptive-analytic method. Data collected via a standardized questionnaire based on theory of planned behavior constructed and analyzed by SPSS v.17 using ANOVA, Independent T-test, Pearson correlation and linear regression. RESULTS: There was statistically significant correlation between using health literacy strategies and marriage status, attending in retraining courses, employment type, job history, and job status. Perceived behavioral control was the most powerful predictor of intention (β=0.417) and use health literacy strategies in patient education and behavior of nurses (β=0.33). CONCLUSION: According to the findings of this study, perceived behavioral control is a powerful determinant of nurses’ intention and behavior of using health literacy strategies in patient education. Hence we recommend nurse educators to pay special attention to the constructs of this theory mainly perceived behavioral control in retrain courses about patient education and health literacy strategies.