The Effect of a Health Literacy Program on Alcohol Use among Medical Students in Hubei Province, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Health literacy (HL) plays an important role in alcohol consumption. Improving alcohol‑related HL offers an integrated approach to prevent and reduce high‑risk alcohol use. This study aimed to determine the effects of a HL program (HLP) on medical students’ drinking behaviors. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 2023 to January 2024 among medical students. One hundred and four students were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 52) and control (n = 52) groups. The intervention group received the HLP over six sessions, while the control group received standard health education. Data were collected through interviews using a structured interview questionnaire. Independent t‑tests, paired sample t‑tests, Chi‑squared tests, and Chi‑square for trend were applied for statistical analysis. Results: Following the HLP, the intervention group exhibited a significant increase in the mean total HL score, cognitive skills, access skills, communication skills, self‑management skills, media skills, and decision skills compared to the control group (P 0.05). Moreover, the intervention group showed a significant decrease in the number of harmful drinkers compared to the control group (P 0.05). Conclusion: HLPs are effective in improving HL and reducing alcohol consumption among medical students. Our findings suggest incorporating HLPs into adolescents’ health education activities.