BMC Public Health | |
Examining income-related inequality in health literacy and health-information seeking among urban population in China | |
Xueji Wu1  Bingying Pan1  Xiongfei Chen1  Xiaocong Yang2  Chengxiang Tang2  | |
[1] Department of Primary Public Health, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention;School of Public Administration, Guangzhou University; | |
关键词: Inequality; Health Literacy; Health Information Seeking; China; | |
DOI : 10.1186/s12889-019-6538-2 | |
来源: DOAJ |
【 摘 要 】
Abstract Background Health literacy and health-information seeking behaviour (HISB) play vital roles in health outcome improvements. This study examines the extent of income-related inequality in health literacy and health-information seeking as well as the contributions of the main socioeconomic determinants in China. Methods We analysed representative data of participants aged over 18 years as well as older adults from the Guangzhou Community Health Survey. A concentration index (CI) was used to quantify the degree of income-related inequity in health literacy and health-information seeking. Probit regression models were employed to decompose the CI into the contributions to each factor. Results Results showed a significant pro-rich distribution of adequate health literacy (CI: 0.0602, P < 0.001; horizontal index [HI]: 0.0562, P < 0.001) and HISB from healthcare professionals (CI: 0.105, P < 0.001; HI: 0.0965, P < 0.001). The pro-rich distribution of health literacy was mainly attributable to education background (contribution: 54.76%), whereas income inequalities contributed most to the pro-rich distribution of health-information seeking among an urban population (contribution: 62.53%). Conclusion Public interventions in China to reduce inequality in health literacy and HISBs among the urban population, coupled with easily accessible information sources on health, warrant further attention from policymakers.
【 授权许可】
Unknown