Bovana, Sinombulelo2025-10-092025-10-092024https://hdl.handle.net/10566/21048The transition to university can be a challenging time for young people, characterized by increased independence, socializing, self-regulation, and self-organization (Siri et al., 2016). The promotion of health knowledge is a fundamental strategy to maintain people’s health during public health emergencies (Siri et al., 2016). Communities that possess sufficient health information may be better able to identify risk factors and promptly respond to virus outbreaks (Balkhy et al., 2010). Academic discipline, sex, age, and socio-economic factors can influence the level of health knowledge (Al-Isa & Alfaddagh, 2014). Nutritional education or studying a health-related course have been linked to increased knowledge in some students (Belogianni et al., 2021; Spexoto et al., 2015). Health knowledge among university students is a critical area of study because it directly influences their health behaviours and overall well-being (Wu et al., 2023). University students who possess a sufficient level of health literacy are better equipped to handle public health emergencies and lessen the unintentional harm that potentially catastrophic public health events might cause (Jansen et al., 2018; Juvinyà-Canal et al., 2020a; Wu et al., 2023).enHealthHealth knowledgeNon-communicable diseasesViolenceUniversity in the Western CapeThesis