{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T18:30:09Z","timestamp":1786645809186,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786579200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Health literacy is a multidimensional concept that encompasses a range of skills people need to function effectively and efficiently in a healthcare environment. This study, aims to fill the gap in knowledge about health literacy regarding noncommunicable disease prevention practices in the Ethiopian context.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A descriptive qualitative study was conducted to investigate health literacy-oriented noncommunicable disease prevention behaviors in the Amhara Region of Northwest Ethiopia. The study used focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 51 diverse participants from the community and health system. To further understand participants\u2019 health literacy on common noncommunicable diseases, a thematic analysis approach was employed. Atlas TI. 9.1.3.0 software was used for data analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Four themes emerged regarding how health literacy relates to the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. Factors contributing to low level of preventive behavior for noncommunicable diseases include the level of health literacy, lack of isolated comprehensive preventive health services room, a carefree attitude towards health, operational failures, knowledge gaps, and motivational variables.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Participants demonstrated inadequate health literacy and held misconceptions about non-communicable diseases and their associated risk factors. To reduce the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases, this study highlights the need to address the diverse health literacy needs of adults-including the knowledge and skills required to recognize and act on these conditions or behaviors, and the ability to understand and respond to health requirements by implementing context specific health literacy improvement strategies for noncommunicable disease literacy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0354160","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T17:39:02Z","timestamp":1786642742000},"page":"e0354160","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Health literacy on non-communicable diseases prevention among adults in Northwest of Amhara region, Ethiopia: A qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-7437-4998","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Nakachew Mekonnen","family":"Alamirew","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eshetu","family":"Girma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sahai","family":"Burrowes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3142-5266","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Yohannes Kebede","family":"Lemu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0354160.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-015-1551-6","article-title":"A critical review of population health literacy assessment","volume":"15","author":"D Guzys","year":"2015","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0354160.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"878","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1525-1497.2006.00540.x","article-title":"The meaning and the measure of health literacy","volume":"21","author":"DW Baker","year":"2006","journal-title":"J Gen Intern Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0354160.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-12-80","article-title":"Health literacy and public health: a systematic review and integration of definitions and models","volume":"12","author":"K S\u00f8rensen","year":"2012","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0354160.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1080\/10810730.2010.499985","article-title":"Health literacy: what is it?","author":"ND Berkman","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Health Commun"},{"key":"pone.0354160.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1016\/j.puhe.2016.01.001","article-title":"Health literacy: applying current concepts to improve health services and reduce health inequalities","volume":"132","author":"RW Batterham","year":"2016","journal-title":"Public Health"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0354160.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.3233\/ISU-170834","article-title":"Health literacy in selected populations: Individuals, families, and communities from the international and cultural perspective","volume":"37","author":"D Levin-Zamir","year":"2017","journal-title":"Information Services and Use"},{"key":"pone.0354160.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1891\/9780826161734.0001","article-title":"Health literacy: history, definitions, and models","volume-title":"Health literacy in nursing: providing person-centered care","author":"TA Parnell","year":"2014"},{"key":"pone.0354160.ref008","volume-title":"Health literacy development for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: Volume 2. 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