ArticlePloS one2016
Health Literacy Measure for Adolescents (HELMA): Development and Psychometric Properties.
Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 60 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
60 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The constructs of health literacy in children: a systematic review.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Measuring health literacy: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis of instruments from 1993 to 2021.PloS one · 2022Pooled it
- Quality of health literacy instruments used in children and adolescents: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2018Pooled it
- The effectiveness of an m-Health intervention on the sexual and reproductive health of in-school adolescents: a cluster randomized controlled trial in Nigeria.Reproductive health · 2024Trial
- A behavioral strategy to minimize air pollution exposure in pregnant women: a randomized controlled trial.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2017Trial
- Exploring Patterns and Associated Factors of Physical Inactivity in Adolescents: A Cross‑Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- The association between health literacy and diabetes self-management among adolescents with type 1 diabetes.BMC pediatrics · 2026Article
- The Impact of Care Delivered Through the Self-Management Promotion Model on Health Literacy Levels in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Quasi-Experimental Research.Health literacy research and practice · 2026Article
- Unhealthy dietary behaviors and associated factors among adolescents: a territory-wide study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Systematic Review of Health Literacy and Health Behavior in Adolescents Research.Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Exploring the factors associated with health literacy among adolescents in Hong Kong.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Measuring adolescent health literacy in Nigeria: psychometric validation of the health literacy assessment scale for adolescents.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Methodological quality of health literacy instruments used among school children in Asian countries: a systematic review.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2026Review
- Sexual and reproductive health literacy of higher education students: a scoping review of determinants, screening tools, and effective interventions.Global health action · 2025Article
- Examining Sleep Habits and Associated Lifestyle Factors in Adolescents: A Population-Based Study.Brain and behavior · 2025Observational
- Exploring the Impact of Health Literacy on Fertility Awareness and Reproductive Health in University Students-A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Literacy or Useless Knowledge? Associations Between Health Literacy and Lifestyle Among Adolescents.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Health literacy among the undergraduate students of Chhayanath Rara Municipality, Mugu.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Association between health literacy and body mass index among Iranian high school students.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Development and validation of an adolescent health literacy scale in Ethiopia: A mixed methods approach.PloS one · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundHealth literacy refers to personal competencies for the access to, understanding of, appraisal of and application of health information in order to make sound decisions in everyday life. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of an instrument for the measurement of health literacy among adolescents (the Health Literacy Measure for Adolescents-HELMA).
methodsThis study was made up of two phases, qualitative and quantitative, which were carried out in 2012-2014 in Tehran, Iran. In the qualitative part of the study, in-depth interviews with 67 adolescents aged 15-18 were carried out in 4 high schools to generate the initial item pool for the survey. The content validity of the items was then assessed by an expert panel review (n = 13) and face validity was assessed by interviewing adolescents (n = 16). In the quantitative part of the study, in order to describe the psychometric properties of the scale, validity, reliability (internal consistency and test-retest) and factor analysis were assessed.
resultsAn item pool made up of 104 items was generated at the qualitative stage. After content validity was considered, this decreased to 47 items. In the quantitative stage, 582 adolescents aged 15-18 participated in the study with a mean age of 16.2 years. 51.2% of participants were females. In principal component factor analysis, 8 factors were loaded, which accounted for 53.37% of the variance observed. Reliability has been approved by α = 0.93 and the test-retest of the scale at two-week intervals indicated an appropriate stability for the scale (ICC = 0.93). The final questionnaire was approved with 44 items split into eight sections. The sections were titled: gain access to, reading, understanding, appraise, use, communication, self-efficacy and numeracy.
conclusionThe Health Literacy Measure for Adolescents (HELMA) is a valid and reliable tool for the measurement of the health literacy of adolescents aged 15-18 and can be used to evaluate different levels of functional, interactive, and critical health literacy in adolescents.
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