Diraya.media—learning media literacy with and from media activists

Taking stock of media activist initiatives in the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region, this article discusses findings from case study research informing the media education platform “diraya.media.” Through participatory methodology, the case studies and the bilingual (Arabic/English) website aim to analyze and strengthen local media literacy pedagogies by learning with and from media activists in the region. This article reports on six case studies of SWANA-based media activist organizations and pedagogical material for the media literacy classroom. The goal is to reflect and discuss the methodological and theoretical ramifications of Diraya as a pedagogical space for reflection and knowledge exchange between media activists and other learners in the region and beyond. Drawing on the participating activists’ experiences, Diraya is embedded in the turn toward radical media education and civic media literacies, contributing to (1) de-Westernizing media literacy education, (2) creating more learning materials based on local activist knowledge as important resources to increase media literacy, and (3) enabling of long-term collaborations by archiving and making public experiences from SWANA-based media activists

Health Literacy Level and its Related Factors among College Students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

Background and Objective: Health literacy has a potential impact on people's health and quality of life and reduces the cost of health care. Therefore, considering the importance of health literacy and its role in individuals' health, the present study aimed to determine the level of health literacy and its related factors among the students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 386 students studying at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in 2016. The study population was selected through multistage sampling method. The data were collected using the questionnaire of Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA) through self-report design. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software, version 21, using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Chi-square test. Results: According to the results, 50.5% and 3.9% of the subjects had adequate and inadequate health literacy, respectively. Internet was found to be the main modality through which the students obtained most of their information about health. In addition, health literacy was significantly associated with age, gender, marital status, faculty, and source of information (P<0.05). Conclusion: Regarding the level of health literacy in the students and the effective demographic variables, it is necessary to design and implement some interventions targeted toward the empowerment of students in the field of health literacy. Furthemore, it seems essential to provide the students with newer ways, such as web-based education, to improve their health information