Health Literacy, Health Behaviour and Healthcare Seeking Behaviour in Rural Settings in Tanzania: Towards a Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Conceptual framework can serve very useful purposes when it comes to formulating research questions and developing hypotheses. This article presents a conceptual framework from a study conducted in rural settings in Mvomero district in Morogoro, Tanzania. The study assessed health literacy (HL) and its influence on health Behaviour (HB) and health care seeking behaviour (HCSB) as well as attitudes of people under One Health Approach (OHA). This article shares with readers who intend to conduct similar studies focusing on the connection between HL, HB and HCSB on the framework to be employed in studies of those nature. The intention of this article is not to present the whole study, but to share a detailed account of a conceptual framework. This framework is on the connection between HL, HB and HCSB. The framework informs health education and HL interventions; particularly, on ways the interventions can effectively lead to health behavioural change in the context of One Health Approach (OHA). Other studies can be conducted to assess HL in other areas of Tanzania and beyond using this conceptual framework. This analytical framework is vital at this particular moment when the need for educating people to become more health literate is pertinent. It is recommended that the conceptual framework should contextualize to attain additional context specific variables