Abstract
Health literacy, which encompasses knowledge, motivation, and skills for obtaining, understanding, evaluating, and applying health-related information for informed decision-making, is studied worldwide. However, health literacy remains under-researched. To address this, we examined international experiences and conducted a literature review on health literacy among higher education students. Using databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, we conducted a review spanning 10 years, yielding 150 articles, with 44 selected for this review. Our findings indicate that the level of health literacy among students varies significantly across studies and is influenced by various demographic, socio-economic, and other factors. Age may not be a significant determinant of health literacy, as some researchers report that women exhibit higher health literacy levels compared to men. Economic status and the education level of both the student and their parents affect health literacy. Additionally, engaging in sports is associated with higher health literacy, while negative behaviors correlate with lower levels. The direction of education also impacts health literacy, and students' health-related experiences positively influence their health literacy levels. In conclusion, health literacy is influenced by various demographic and socio-economic factors and health status. Further research in this area, along with efforts to improve health literacy among youth, will be a significant step towards making healthcare accessible to all citizens, enhancing overall life activities, health levels, and quality of life for students.Keywords: health literacy, students, health promotion, medical literacy, public health.