Health Literacy in Portugal: Results of the Health Literacy Population Survey Project 2019–2021

Miguel Arriaga, Rita Francisco, Paulo Nogueira, Jorge Oliveira, Carlota Silva, Gisele Câmara, Kristine Sørensen, Christina Dietscher and Andreia Costa
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Miguel Arriaga: Divisão de Literacia, Saúde e Bem-Estar, Direção-Geral da Saúde, 1049-005 Lisbon, Portugal
Rita Francisco: Católica Research Centre for Psychological—Family and Social Wellbeing (CRC-W), Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisbon, Portugal
Paulo Nogueira: Instituto de Saúde Ambiental (ISAMB), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
Jorge Oliveira: Digital Human-Environment and Interaction Lab (HEI-Lab), School of Psychology and Life Sciences, University Lusófona, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
Carlota Silva: Divisão de Literacia, Saúde e Bem-Estar, Direção-Geral da Saúde, 1049-005 Lisbon, Portugal
Gisele Câmara: Nursing Research, Innovation and Development Centre of Lisbon (CIDNUR), Nursing School of Lisbon (ESEL), 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal
Kristine Sørensen: Global Health Literacy Academy, 8240 Risskov, Denmark
Christina Dietscher: Austrian Ministry of Health, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Andreia Costa: Instituto de Saúde Ambiental (ISAMB), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Health literacy entails the knowledge, motivation, and competencies to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information in order to make judgments and decisions in everyday life concerning health care, disease prevention, and health promotion to maintain or improve quality of life throughout the life course. It has become an essential concept in public health. It is considered a modifiable determinant of health decisions, health behaviors, health, and healthcare outcomes. Prior studies suggest highly variable levels of health literacy across European countries. Assessing and monitoring health literacy is critical to support interventions and policies to improve health literacy. This study aimed to describe the process of adaptation to Portugal of the short-form version of the Health Literacy Survey (HLS 19 -Q12) from the Health Literacy Population Survey Project 2019–2021, also establishing the health literacy levels in the Portuguese population. The sample comprised 1247 valid cases. The survey consisted of a brief questionnaire on the determinants of health literacy, plus the HLS 19 -Q12 questionnaire and the specific health literacies packages on digital health literacy, navigational health literacy, and vaccination health literacy. The results suggest that 7 out of 10 people in Portugal (mainland) have high health literacy levels and support the results of other studies concerning the main socioeconomic determinants of general health literacy. Furthermore, the results suggest that “navigation in the health system” tasks are the most challenging tasks regarding specific health literacies. The overall data suggest the HLS 19 -Q12 as a feasible measure to assess health literacy in the Portuguese population. Thus, it can be used in Portugal to assess the population’s needs and monitor and evaluate policies and initiatives to promote health literacy by addressing its societal, environmental, personal, and situational modifiable determinant factors.

Keywords: health literacy; health literacy survey; digital health literacy; navigational health literacy; vaccination health literacy; psychometry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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