Health literacy in Portugal: results of the health literacy population survey project 2019–2021

Miguel Arriaga; Rita Francisco; Paulo Nogueira; Jorge Oliveira; Carlota Silva; Gisele Câmara; Khristine Sørensen; Christina Dietscher; Andreia Costa

doi:10.3390/ijerph19074225

Health literacy in Portugal: results of the health literacy population survey project 2019–2021

Miguel Arriaga^*, Rita Francisco, Paulo Nogueira, Jorge Oliveira, Carlota Silva, Gisele Câmara, Khristine Sørensen, Christina Dietscher, Andreia Costa

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Health literacy entails the knowledge, motivation, and competencies to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information in order to make judgments and decisions in everyday life concerning health care, disease prevention, and health promotion to maintain or improve quality of life throughout the life course. It has become an essential concept in public health. It is considered a modifiable determinant of health decisions, health behaviors, health, and healthcare outcomes. Prior studies suggest highly variable levels of health literacy across European countries. Assessing and monitoring health literacy is critical to support interventions and policies to improve health literacy. This study aimed to describe the process of adaptation to Portugal of the short‐form version of the Health Literacy Survey (HLS19‐Q12) from the Health Literacy Population Survey Project 2019–2021, also establishing the health literacy levels in the Portuguese population. The sample comprised 1247 valid cases. The survey consisted of a brief questionnaire on the determinants of health literacy, plus the HLS19‐Q12 questionnaire and the specific health literacies packages on digital health literacy, navigational health literacy, and vaccination health literacy. The results suggest that 7 out of 10 people in Portugal (mainland) have high health literacy levels and support the results of other studies concerning the main socioeconomic determinants of general health literacy. Furthermore, the results suggest that “navigation in the health system” tasks are the most challenging tasks regarding specific health literacies. The overall data suggest the HLS19‐Q12 as a feasible measure to assess health literacy in the Portuguese population. Thus, it can be used in Portugal to assess the population’s needs and monitor and evaluate policies and initiatives to promote health literacy by addressing its societal, environmental, personal, and situational modifiable determinant factors.

Original language	English
Article number	4225
Number of pages	15
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	19
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074225
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2022

Keywords

Health literacy
Health literacy survey
Digital health literacy
Navigational health literacy
Vaccination health literacy
Psychometry

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3390/ijerph19074225Licence: CC BY

42559137Final published version, 1.84 MBLicence: CC BY

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/37322Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Health literacy in Portugal: results of the health literacy population survey project 2019–2021",

abstract = "Health literacy entails the knowledge, motivation, and competencies to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information in order to make judgments and decisions in everyday life concerning health care, disease prevention, and health promotion to maintain or improve quality of life throughout the life course. It has become an essential concept in public health. It is considered a modifiable determinant of health decisions, health behaviors, health, and healthcare outcomes. Prior studies suggest highly variable levels of health literacy across European countries. Assessing and monitoring health literacy is critical to support interventions and policies to improve health literacy. This study aimed to describe the process of adaptation to Portugal of the short‐form version of the Health Literacy Survey (HLS19‐Q12) from the Health Literacy Population Survey Project 2019–2021, also establishing the health literacy levels in the Portuguese population. The sample comprised 1247 valid cases. The survey consisted of a brief questionnaire on the determinants of health literacy, plus the HLS19‐Q12 questionnaire and the specific health literacies packages on digital health literacy, navigational health literacy, and vaccination health literacy. The results suggest that 7 out of 10 people in Portugal (mainland) have high health literacy levels and support the results of other studies concerning the main socioeconomic determinants of general health literacy. Furthermore, the results suggest that “navigation in the health system” tasks are the most challenging tasks regarding specific health literacies. The overall data suggest the HLS19‐Q12 as a feasible measure to assess health literacy in the Portuguese population. Thus, it can be used in Portugal to assess the population{\textquoteright}s needs and monitor and evaluate policies and initiatives to promote health literacy by addressing its societal, environmental, personal, and situational modifiable determinant factors.",

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author = "Miguel Arriaga and Rita Francisco and Paulo Nogueira and Jorge Oliveira and Carlota Silva and Gisele C{\^a}mara and Khristine S{\o}rensen and Christina Dietscher and Andreia Costa",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

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doi = "10.3390/ijerph19074225",

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AU - Câmara, Gisele

AU - Sørensen, Khristine

AU - Dietscher, Christina

AU - Costa, Andreia

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AB - Health literacy entails the knowledge, motivation, and competencies to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information in order to make judgments and decisions in everyday life concerning health care, disease prevention, and health promotion to maintain or improve quality of life throughout the life course. It has become an essential concept in public health. It is considered a modifiable determinant of health decisions, health behaviors, health, and healthcare outcomes. Prior studies suggest highly variable levels of health literacy across European countries. Assessing and monitoring health literacy is critical to support interventions and policies to improve health literacy. This study aimed to describe the process of adaptation to Portugal of the short‐form version of the Health Literacy Survey (HLS19‐Q12) from the Health Literacy Population Survey Project 2019–2021, also establishing the health literacy levels in the Portuguese population. The sample comprised 1247 valid cases. The survey consisted of a brief questionnaire on the determinants of health literacy, plus the HLS19‐Q12 questionnaire and the specific health literacies packages on digital health literacy, navigational health literacy, and vaccination health literacy. The results suggest that 7 out of 10 people in Portugal (mainland) have high health literacy levels and support the results of other studies concerning the main socioeconomic determinants of general health literacy. Furthermore, the results suggest that “navigation in the health system” tasks are the most challenging tasks regarding specific health literacies. The overall data suggest the HLS19‐Q12 as a feasible measure to assess health literacy in the Portuguese population. Thus, it can be used in Portugal to assess the population’s needs and monitor and evaluate policies and initiatives to promote health literacy by addressing its societal, environmental, personal, and situational modifiable determinant factors.

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Health literacy in Portugal: results of the health literacy population survey project 2019–2021

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

HLS-19: Health Literacy Survey 2019 Project

CRC-W: Católica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing

Cite this

Health literacy in Portugal: results of the health literacy population survey project 2019–2021

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

HLS-19: Health Literacy Survey 2019 Project

CRC-W: Católica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing

Cite this