Health Literacy in the Canton of Zurich: First Results of a Representative Study

Elena Guggiari, Rebecca Jaks, Fabian Marc Pascal Berger, Dunja Nicca and Saskia Maria De Gani
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Elena Guggiari: Careum Foundation, Health Literacy Department, Pestalozzistrasse 3, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
Rebecca Jaks: Careum Foundation, Health Literacy Department, Pestalozzistrasse 3, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
Fabian Marc Pascal Berger: Careum Foundation, Health Literacy Department, Pestalozzistrasse 3, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
Dunja Nicca: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
Saskia Maria De Gani: Careum Foundation, Health Literacy Department, Pestalozzistrasse 3, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-12

Abstract: Managing health information and services is difficult for nearly half of the population in Switzerland. Low health literacy has been shown to result in poorer health and health outcomes as well as a higher utilization of health services. To date, studies on health literacy in Switzerland have focused on a national level. However, Switzerland is a federal state with 26 cantons and a strongly decentralized health system. Therefore, the aim of this study is to understand how health literacy is distributed within the population of the canton of Zurich specifically, and to develop methods to determine whether an individual has a higher or lower level of health literacy. There were a total of 1000 participants in this representative study. Data was collected by an adapted version of the HLS-EU-Q47 and additional sociodemographic questions. The majority (56%) of the reported difficulties concerned accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying health information. The findings confirm that health literacy follows a social gradient, whereby financially deprived individuals and those with a low educational level report lower health literacy. The need for action to strengthen the health literacy of these population groups is therefore urgent. Interventions should pay particular attention to these vulnerable groups and tailor resolutions to their needs and preferences.

Keywords: health literacy; health information; health determinants; HLS-EU-Q; federalist health system (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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