Self-Health Literacy Among Students in Islamic School Science Education: A Comparative Analysis Across Gender, Grade Level, and School Context
Keywords:
Demographic, Digital literacy, Islamic schools, Science students, Self-health literacyAbstract
This study explores students’ self-health literacy within
Islamic school science education by examining differences
across gender, grade level, and school context. Using a cross
sectional survey approach, data were collected from junior
high school students through an instrument grounded in the
health
literacy
framework,
encompassing
access,
understanding, processing, and application of health
information. Students generally demonstrate a positive level
of self-health literacy, with stronger performance in applying
health knowledge compared to evaluating information
critically. Relationships among all dimensions were found to
be interconnected, highlighting the integrative nature of
health literacy development. No significant differences
emerged across gender and school context, while variations
in information access were observed across grade levels. The
study underscores the importance of integrating digital
literacy and value-based education in strengthening
students’ health literacy.
References
Casey, B. J., Jones, R. M., Levita, L., Libby, V., Pattwell, S. S., Ruberry, E. J., Soliman, F., and
Somerville, L. H. (2010). The storm and stress of adolescence: Insights from human
imaging and mouse genetics. Developmental Psychobiology, 52(3), 225–235.
Larsen, B., and Luna, B. (2018). Adolescence is a neurobiological critical period for the
development of higher-order cognition. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 94,
–195.
Sanders, R. A. (2013). Adolescent psychosocial, social, and cognitive development.
Pediatrics In Review, 34(8), 354–359.
Salam, R. A., Das, J. K., Lassi, Z. S., and Bhutta, Z. A. (2016). Adolescent health and well
being: Background and methodology for review of potential interventions. Journal of
Adolescent Health, 59(2), S4–S10.
McNamara, R., Quinn, R., Murrin, C., and Bel-Serrat, S. (2021). Teachers’ perspectives on
the barriers to healthy lifestyle behaviors among adolescent girls of disadvantaged
backgrounds in Ireland: A qualitative study. Appetite, 167, 105585.
Abarca-Gómez, L., Abdeen, Z. A., Hamid, Z. A., Abu-Rmeileh, N. M., Acosta-Cazares, B.,
Acuin, C., Adams, R. J., Aekplakorn, W., Afsana, K., Aguilar-Salinas, C.A., and Cho, Y.
(2017). Worldwide trends in body-mass index, underweight, overweight, and obesity
from 1975 to 2016: A pooled analysis of 2416 population-based measurement studies in
· 9 million children, adolescents, and adults. The Lancet, 390(10113), 2627-2642.
Bjärehed, J., Grenner, H., Pavlovic, S., and Nilsson, M. (2024). It is harder for me: A
thematic analysis of lived experience of self-care, and its relationship with self-injurious
behaviors in psychiatric patients. Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare, 8,
Kissil, K., and Niño, A. (2017). Does the person-of-the-therapist training (POTT) promote
self-care? Personal gains of MFT trainees following POTT: A retrospective thematic
analysis. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 43(3), 526–536.
Matthews, J. A., Matthews, S., Faries, M. D., and Wolever, R. Q. (2024). Supporting
sustainable health behavior change: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Mayo
Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality and Outcomes, 8(3), 263–275.
Permana, T. I., Suwono, H., and Listyorini, D. (2016). Preliminary study of health literacy
in high school student in Malang. Prosiding Seminar Nasional II, 3(1), 430–434.
Monsalve-Silva, S., Otalvaro-García, G., Cajica Velandia, L. S., and Vargas Sánchez, A. D.
(2024). Integration of democratic values in natural sciences education: A literature review
of the last 50 years. F1000Research, 13, 940.
Keselman, A., Kaufman, D. R., Kramer, S., and Patel, V. L. (2007). Fostering conceptual
change and critical reasoning about HIV and AIDS. Journal of Research in Science
Teaching, 44(6), 844–863.
Kolstø, S. D., Bungum, B., Arnesen, E., Isnes, A., Kristensen, T., Mathiassen, K., Mestad, I.,
Quale, A., Tonning, A. S. V., and Ulvik, M. (2006). Science students’ critical examination
of scientific information related to socioscientific issues. Science Education, 90(4), 632
Abdullah, M. A. (2014). Religion, science and culture: An integrated, interconnected
paradigm of science. Al-Jami’ah, 52(1), 175–203.
Wahyuni, A. (2020). Integration of Islamic values in science education: A reconstruction
effort in education. Halaqa: Islamic Education Journal, 4(2), 163–168.
Riwanda, A., Huda, H., Nadlir, N., and Yani, A. (2024). Integrating science and religion
through academic writing: A case study at Man Insan Cendekia. EDUKASI: Jurnal
Penelitian Pendidikan Agama dan Keagamaan, 22(2), 167–183.
Geets-Kesić, M., Maras, N., and Gilić, B. (2023). Analysis of the association between
health literacy, physical literacy, and scholastic achievement: A preliminary cross
sectional study among high-school students from Southern Croatia. Montenegrin Journal
of Sports Science and Medicine, 19(1), 3–9.
Szadvári, I., Ostatníková, D., and Durdiaková, J. B. (2023). Sex differences matter: Males
and females are equal but not the same. Physiology and Behavior, 259, 114038.
Sun, S., Lu, J., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Wu, L., Zhu, S., Zheng, X., Lu, X., and Xu, H. (2022).
Gender differences in factors associated with the health literacy of hospitalized older
patients with chronic diseases: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health, 10,
Kühn, L., Bachert, P., Hildebrand, C., Kunkel, J., Reitermayer, J., Wäsche, H., and Woll, A.
(2022). Health literacy among university students: A systematic review of cross-sectional
studies. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 680999.
Chen, X., Orom, H., Hay, J. L., Waters, E. A., Schofield, E., Li, Y., and Kiviniemi, M. T. (2019).
Differences in rural and urban health information access and use. The Journal of Rural
Health, 35(3), 405-417.
Dewi, R., Muryani, C., and Sarwono, S. (2015). Perubahan daya dukung lahan Kabupaten
Boyolali tahun 2003-2012. Jurnal GeoEco, 1, 47–57.
Sørensen, K., Van Den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z., and Brand,
H. (2012). Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of
definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 80.
Alsahafi, Y. A., Gay, V., and Khwaji, A. A. (2022). Factors affecting the acceptance of
integrated electronic personal health records in Saudi Arabia: The impact of e-health
literacy. Health Information Management Journal, 51(2), 98-109.
Moorthy, R., Selvadurai, S., Gill, S. S., and Gurunathan, A. (2021). Sustainable societal
peace through the integration of bioethics principles and value-based education.
Sustainability, 13(6), 3266.
Yiğitalp, G., Bayram Değer, V., and Çifçi, S. (2021). Health literacy, health perception and
related factors among different ethnic groups: A cross-sectional study in southeastern
Turkey. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1109.
Bergman, L., Nilsson, U., Dahlberg, K., Jaensson, M., and Wångdahl, J. (2021). Health
literacy and e-health literacy among Arabic-speaking migrants in Sweden: A cross
sectional study. BMC Public Health, 21, 1-12.
Harsch, S., Jawid, A., Jawid, M. E., Saboga Nunes, L., Sahrai, D., and Bittlingmayer, U. H.
(2021). The relationship of health literacy, wellbeing and religious beliefs in neglected
and unequal contexts-results of a survey study in central Afghanistan. Health Promotion
Journal of Australia, 32, 80-87.
Daddow, A., Cronshaw, D., Daddow, N., and Sandy, R. (2019). Strengthening inter-cultural
literacy and minority voices through narratives of healthy religious pluralism in higher
education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 25(10), 1174–1189.
Dashti, S., Abadibavil, D., and Roozbeh, N. (2022). Evaluating e-health literacy,
knowledge, attitude and practice regarding COVID-19 prevention and self-protection
among Iranian students: A cross-sectional online survey. BMC Medical Education, 22(1),
Hidayat, A. Z., and Nandiyanto, A. B. D. (2022). Socialization of digital literacy in compiling
a balanced healthy menu to members of POKJA III the PKK movement team of Purwakarta
Regency. ASEAN Journal of Community Service and Education, 1(1), 77-82.
Bariquit, D., Bautista, D. C., Escoton, J., Garcia, A. A., Lariza, K., and Ancho, I. (2025).
Community-based health promotion initiatives for early childhood development in
Laguna Philippines, to support sustainable development goals (SDGs). ASEAN Journal of
Community Service and Education, 5(1), 1-10.
Bariquit, D., Bautista, D. C., Escoton, J., Garcia, A. A., Lariza, K., and Ancho, I. (2026).
Development, implementation, and evaluation of early childhood development health community projects in Laguna, Philippines, to support sustainable development goals
(SDGs). ASEAN Journal of Community Service and Education, 5(1), 41-50.
Marcaida, J. P. (2022). Physical and mental health struggles during the time of pandemic:
An overview of domestic setting. ASEAN Journal of Community and Special Needs
Education, 1(1), 23-28.
Kamraju, M. (2023). The impact of yoga on physical health. ASEAN Journal of Physical
Education and Sport Science, 2(2), 81-88.
Obafemi, K. E., Obafemi, T. O., and Yakubu, F. M. (2023). Effect of demonstration method
on primary school pupils' academic achievement in physical and health education. ASEAN
Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, 2(2), 99-104.
Vera, M. J. C., and Calixtro Jr., V. L. (2024). Health-related factors and teaching
performance of physical education teachers amidst COVID-19 pandemic. ASEAN Journal
of Physical Education and Sport Science, 3(1), 17-26.