Social Determinants Associated with Health Care Empowerment Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

Health care empowerment is essential for self-care, informed decision-making, and appropriate use of health services among university students. This cross-sectional pilot study examined the association between selected social determinants of health and health care empowerment among university students in Peru. A sample of 336 undergraduate and graduate students from six universities completed an online survey that included the Empowerment Scale for Health Care Empowerment in University Students (ECSU). The instrument demonstrated adequate psychometric properties (Cronbach’s α = 0.859; McDonald’s ω = 0.835). Descriptive analyses and ordinal logistic regression were conducted to identify factors associated with health care empowerment and its dimensions. Income level, family type, and housing situation were associated with overall empowerment. Lower income levels and extended family structures were associated with lower empowerment levels, while university type and educational level were associated with specific dimensions related to decision-making and the ability to empower others. The explanatory capacity of the models was modest (pseudo-R2 = 5.0–12.8%). These findings provide preliminary evidence on the relationship between social determinants and health care empowerment in university students. However, results should be interpreted with caution due to the cross-sectional design and convenience sampling. Future studies using probabilistic sampling and longitudinal designs are needed to confirm these associations.