Distribution of health literacy strengths and weaknesses across socio-demographic groups: a cross-sectional survey using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ)

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Rachelle Buchbinder¹  Crystal McPhee²  Melanie Hawkins²  Sarity Dodson²  Gerald R. Elsworth²  Roy W. Batterham²  Richard H. Osborne²  Alison Beauchamp³  Louise Sparkes⁴ 

[1] Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia;Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Hospital, Malvern, VIC, Australia;Public Health Innovation, Population Health Strategic Research Centre, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, 3125, Melbourne, VIC, Australia;Public Health Innovation, Population Health Strategic Research Centre, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, 3125, Melbourne, VIC, Australia;Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia;School of Nursing, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia;

关键词: Health literacy;    Health inequities;    Chronic disease;    Culturally and linguistically diverse;    Health Literacy Questionnaire;    HLQ;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-015-2056-z

 received in 2014-12-12, accepted in 2015-07-14,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundRecent advances in the measurement of health literacy allow description of a broad range of personal and social dimensions of the concept. Identifying differences in patterns of health literacy between population sub-groups will increase understanding of how health literacy contributes to health inequities and inform intervention development. The aim of this study was to use a multi-dimensional measurement tool to describe the health literacy of adults in urban and rural Victoria, Australia.MethodsData were collected from clients (n = 813) of 8 health and community care organisations, using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ). Demographic and health service data were also collected. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Effect sizes (ES) for standardised differences in means were used to describe the magnitude of difference between demographic sub-groups.ResultsMean age of respondents was 72.1 (range 19–99) years. Females comprised 63 % of the sample, 48 % had not completed secondary education, and 96 % reported at least one existing health condition. Small to large ES were seen for mean differences in HLQ scales between most demographic groups. Compared with participants who spoke English at home, those not speaking English at home had much lower scores for most HLQ scales including the scales ‘Understanding health information well enough to know what to do’ (ES −1.09 [95 % confidence interval (CI) -1.33 to −0.84]), ‘Ability to actively engage with healthcare providers’ (ES −1.00 [95 % CI −1.24, −0.75]), and ‘Navigating the healthcare system’ (ES −0.72 [95 % CI −0.97, −0.48]). Similar patterns and ES were seen for participants born overseas compared with those born in Australia. Smaller ES were seen for sex, age group, private health insurance status, number of chronic conditions, and living alone.ConclusionsThis study has revealed some large health literacy differences across nine domains of health literacy in adults using health services in Victoria. These findings provide insights into the relationship between health literacy and socioeconomic position in vulnerable groups and, given the focus of the HLQ, provide guidance for the development of equitable interventions.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Beauchamp et al. 2015