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A cross-sectional health literacy profile of Australian regional adults using the Health Literacy Questionnaire©
journal contribution
posted on 2023-03-06, 03:56 authored by Bonnie BeasantBonnie Beasant, Andrew SanigorskiAndrew Sanigorski, N Brayshaw, Vanessa VaughanVanessa Vaughan, Mojtaba Lotfaliany Abrand AbadiMojtaba Lotfaliany Abrand Abadi, S McCoombe, Monica TemboMonica Tembo, Sarah HoskingSarah HoskingOBJECTIVE: Health literacy is the resources and abilities required to make and enact health decisions. This study aimed to describe the health literacy of a diverse cross-section of adults in regional Victoria. METHODS: Participants were recruited from two primary care clinics differing in socioeconomic scope and through non-clinical recruitment via the town's largest football club. Health Literacy Questionnaire© measured nine distinct scales, and comprehensive demographic data were also collected. Effect-sizes and regression were used for health literacy comparison between groups. RESULTS: In this sample of 351 adults, health literacy strengths were observed in Scale 1: 'Feeling understood and supported by healthcare providers' (mean 3.29/4 ±0.5) and Scale 9: 'Understanding health information well enough to know what to do' (mean 4.10/5 ±0.6). Challenging areas were Scale 5: 'Appraising health information' (mean 2.88/4 ±0.5) and Scale 7: 'Navigating the healthcare system' (mean 3.84/5 ±0.6). After adjustment, living alone predicted lower scores across most scales. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed greater health literacy barriers experienced by certain groups, particularly those who live alone and those who weren't clinically recruited. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: These findings have implications for further research into addressing health literacy barriers in marginalised individuals and non-clinical settings. Results from this study may inform interventions which address identified barriers.
History
Journal
Australian and New Zealand journal of public healthVolume
47Article number
100009Pagination
100009-Location
United StatesPublisher DOI
ISSN
1326-0200eISSN
1753-6405Language
enIssue
1Publisher
Elsevier BVUsage metrics
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Keywords
community healthhealth literacyprimary healthHumansAdultHealth LiteracyCross-Sectional StudiesAustraliaSurveys and QuestionnairesHealth StatusHealth ServicesClinical ResearchGeneric health relevance3 Good Health and Well BeingApplied Economics not elsewhere classifiedPublic Health and Health Services not elsewhere classifiedPolicy and Administration not elsewhere classified
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