The Importance of Health Literacy in Preventing Respiratory Diseases

Fisun ŞENUZUN AYKARa , Gökşen POLATb
aİzmir Tınaztepe University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Division of Internal Medicine Nursing, İzmir, Türkiye
bİzmir Tınaztepe University Vocational School of Health Services, Department of Nursing, Department of Internal Medicine Nursing, İzmir, Türkiye

Şenuzun Aykar F, Polat G. The importance of health literacy in preventing respiratory diseases. In: Çevik Akyıl R, ed. Nursing Approach in Respiratory Diseases. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2025. p.104-8.

ABSTRACT
Health literacy; it is defined as reaching the level of personal knowledge and skills activated to improve individual and social health by changing the individual’s lifestyle. While the starting point of the concept is infectious diseases, its importance in non-communicable diseases has been understood from the recent past to the present and studies have been included in these areas. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a return to infectious diseases. Both infectious and non-communicable diseases should be considered together in the prevention and control of respiratory system diseases. When risk factors and precautions are examined, they include similar basic health behaviours and consist of principles that should be applied for a healthy life. These behaviours; An active life, avoiding insurance and alcohol consumption, and healthy nutrition can be given as examples. As with all chronic diseases after disease development, individuals’ ability to self-manage respiratory system diseases is related to improved health literacy. In this section, all respiratory system diseases, communicable and non-communicable, are discussed and health literacy initiatives in disease prevention and control are included.

Keywords: Health literacy; respiratory system diseases; nursing

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