en Health Education and Promotion پژوهشي Research Article <span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><b><span style="color:black">Background and Objective:</span></b> The onset of puberty is a critical developmental stage characterized by significant biological and psychological changes. This study aimed to develop and test a structural model of the relationship between health literacy, physical literacy, and mental health in girls at the onset of puberty, focusing on the mediating role of self-care behaviors.<span style="font-family:Optima"></span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><b><span style="color:black">Materials and Methods:</span></b> This descriptive-correlational study employed structural equation modeling. The study population comprised girls aged 9&ndash;12 years in Khorramabad, Iran, during the 2025&ndash;2026 academic year. A sample of 384 participants was selected using multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Health Literacy for Iranian Adults questionnaire, the Physical Literacy Questionnaire, the General Health Questionnaire, and a researcher-made self-care behaviors questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 and AMOS 24.<span lang="AR-SA" dir="RTL" style="font-size:8.0pt"></span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><b><span style="color:black"><span style="letter-spacing:.1pt">Results:</span></span></b> The structural model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data (&nbsp;, &nbsp;, &nbsp;, &nbsp;). Health literacy (&nbsp;,&nbsp;) and physical literacy (, &nbsp;) had significant positive direct effects on mental health. Furthermore, both health literacy (&nbsp;) and physical literacy (&nbsp;) significantly predicted self-care behaviors (&nbsp;). Self-care behaviors partially mediated the relationship between health literacy.<span style="font-family:Optima"></span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><b><span style="color:black">Conclusions:</span></b> Health literacy and physical literacy promote adolescent girls&rsquo; mental health both directly and indirectly by fostering healthy self-care behaviors. School-based interventions should adopt multidimensional approaches integrating cognitive, physical, and behavioral competencies to support psychological well-being during early adolescence.</span></span></span><span style="font-size:14pt"><span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span lang="AR-SA" dir="RTL" style="font-size:8.0pt"></span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; Health literacy, Mental health, Puberty, Physical literacy, Self-care behaviors, Structural equation modeling 0 0 http://ajnpp.umsha.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2658-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Zahra Tanha neginh637@gmail.com 10031947532846009234 10031947532846009234 Yes Department of Educational and Psychosocial Services, Khor. C., Islamic Azad University, Khorram Abad, Iran