Physical Education Teachers' Health Literacy: First Evidence from Lithuania

Background: Promotion of health literacy is an important goal in the context of promoting whole school health. Physical education teachers are of particular importance in achieving this goal. However, very limited empirical studies have addressed the health literacy of physical education teachers. This research aimed to test the structural validity and reliability of the HLS19-Q12, to measure health literacy among physical education teachers, and to evaluate associations of health literacy with health- and lifestyle-related indicators. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of Lithuanian physical education teachers. The participants completed a self-administered online survey that collected information on socio-demographics and health literacy (HLS19-Q12 for general health literacy and the optional package HLS19-DIGI to measure digital health literacy) as well as health behavior. Results: A total of 332 participants completed the survey. The HLS19-Q12 demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.73 and McDonald's omega of 0.75) and satisfactory structural validity (CFI = 0.924, TLI = 0.917, RMSEA = 0.081). Participants had an average score of 85.09 (SD = 17.23) when using the HLS19-Q12, with 19.3% and 48.8% displaying excellent and sufficient levels of health literacy, respectively. Regression analyses revealed that a higher level of health literacy was significantly associated with better health evaluation (beta = 0.15, p < 0.01), but no significant association was found with other health behavior and lifestyle indicators. Conclusions: Overall, the results suggest that teachers' general health literacy is relatively high. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting more in-depth studies to pursue the understanding of the whole school teachers' health literacy.