The Comparison of the Relationship between Health Literacy and Preventive Lifestyle for Non-Communicable Diseases among Medical Students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) impose a substantial burden on the healthcare system worldwide, being related to unhealthy lifestyles. Health literacy can help people promote their lifestyle, reducing the incidence of NCDs. This study aimed to observe the adequacy of health literacy and health-promoting lifestyles among medical students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in preclinical and clinical stages. Three questionnaires were used: a demographic questionnaire, the Health Literacy Instrument for Adults (HELIA), and the validated Persian Lifestyle questionnaire (LSQ) format. We used a linear regression model adjusted for age, sex, academic term, and marital status to assess the association between health literacy and health-promoting lifestyle. Results A total of 160 medical students were included in this study. The mean health literacy score was 67.84 ± 10.73 for preclinical students and 73.88 ± 12.56 for clinical students. The mean LSQ score was 318.69 ± 41.19 for preclinical students and 313.90 ± 36.72 for clinical medical students. Although our assessment revealed no significant differences between groups for LSQ score, unlike for health literacy, we observed a significant association between health literacy and LSQ scores among all medical students [Standardized в = 0.492, P value < 0.001]. Conclusion The health literacy and health-promoting lifestyle are not significantly different between medical students of TUMS in preclinical and clinical levels. Nevertheless, health literacy and health-promoting lifestyle are significantly associated among participants, suggesting the importance of health literacy in the enhancement of health among medical students.