Health Literacy, Socio-Economic Determinants, and Healthy Behaviours: Results from a Large Representative Sample of Tuscany Region, Italy

Patrizio Zanobini, Chiara Lorini, Vieri Lastrucci, Valentina Minardi, Valentina Possenti, Maria Masocco, Giorgio Garofalo, Giovanna Mereu and Guglielmo Bonaccorsi
Additional contact information
Patrizio Zanobini: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Chiara Lorini: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Vieri Lastrucci: Epidemiology Unit, Meyer Children’s University Hospital, 50139 Florence, Italy
Valentina Minardi: Centro Nazionale per la Prevenzione delle Malattie e la Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
Valentina Possenti: Centro Nazionale per la Prevenzione delle Malattie e la Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
Maria Masocco: Centro Nazionale per la Prevenzione delle Malattie e la Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
Giorgio Garofalo: Department of Prevention, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale (AUSL) Toscana Centro, 50122 Florence, Italy
Giovanna Mereu: Department of Prevention, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale (AUSL) Toscana Centro, 50122 Florence, Italy
Guglielmo Bonaccorsi: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: Background: Health Literacy (HL) is one of the main determinants of health and is crucial for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases, by influencing key health-related behaviours. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of HL and sociodemographic factors in predicting the adoption of two healthy behaviours—physical activity and fruits and vegetables consumption. Methods: This study was conducted on the Tuscan population subsample of the Italian Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2017–2018. HL was assessed using the Italian version of the six-item European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q6). Results: About 40% of the 7157 interviewees reported an inadequate or problematic HL level. Female sex, poor financial status, foreign nationality, and low education were associated with a problematic HL level, while an inadequate HL level was associated with being 50–69 years old, low education level, foreign nationality, poor financial status and unemployment or inactive status. Inadequate HL level was a strong predictor of both eating less than three portions of fruits/vegetables per day and not engaging in sufficient PA during leisure times. Conclusions: Our findings showed that an inadequate level of HL could negatively affect physical activity and diet, independently from the other sociodemographic conditions, confirming the role of HL as a relevant social determinant of health.

Keywords: health literacy; nutrition; physical activity; health behaviours (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 (3)

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