The Role of Health Literacy among Outpatient Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Elisabeth Rohwer, Natascha Mojtahedzadeh, Felix Alexander Neumann, Albert Nienhaus, Matthias Augustin, Volker Harth, Birgit-Christiane Zyriax and Stefanie Mache
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Elisabeth Rohwer: Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Seewartenstr. 10, Hs. 1, 20459 Hamburg, Germany
Natascha Mojtahedzadeh: Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Seewartenstr. 10, Hs. 1, 20459 Hamburg, Germany
Felix Alexander Neumann: Midwifery Science-Health Services Research and Prevention, Institute for Health Service Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Albert Nienhaus: Department of Occupational Medicine, Hazardous Substances and Public Health, Institution for Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Health and Welfare Services (BGW), Pappelallee 33/35/37, 22089 Hamburg, Germany
Matthias Augustin: Institute for Health Service Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), Competence Centre for Health Services Research in Vascular Diseases (CVvasc), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Volker Harth: Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Seewartenstr. 10, Hs. 1, 20459 Hamburg, Germany
Birgit-Christiane Zyriax: Midwifery Science-Health Services Research and Prevention, Institute for Health Service Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Stefanie Mache: Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Seewartenstr. 10, Hs. 1, 20459 Hamburg, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-25

Abstract: Health literacy became an important competence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite outpatient caregivers being a particularly vulnerable occupational group, their health literacy has hardly been examined yet, especially during the pandemic. Hence, this study aimed to explore this field and provide first empirical insights. Data were collected based on a cross-sectional online survey among 155 outpatient caregivers. In particular, health literacy (HLS-EU-Q16), diet and physical activity, pandemic-related worries, perceived information sufficiency and stress perception were examined. Descriptive and ordinal logistic regression analyses were run to test explorative assumptions. The majority of outpatient caregivers reported high values of health literacy (69% on a sufficient level). Although no significant associations between health literacy and health behaviours or perceived information sufficiency were found, perceived information sufficiency and perceived stress ( OR = 3.194; 95% CI: 1.542–6.614), and pandemic-related worries ( OR = 3.073; 95% CI: 1.471–6.421; OR = 4.243; 95% CI: 2.027–8.884) seem to be related. Therefore, dissemination of reliable information and resource-building measures to reduce worries may be important parameters for improving outpatient caregivers’ health. Our results provide first explorative insights, representing a starting point for further research. Considering outpatient caregivers’ mobile work setting, they need to be provided with adequate equipment and comprehensible information to ensure physically and mentally healthy working conditions.

Keywords: outpatient care; ambulatory care; health behaviour; nutrition; physical activity; stress; worries; information sufficiency; coronavirus; pandemic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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