#PAGE_PARAMS# #ADS_HEAD_SCRIPTS# #MICRODATA#

Changes in the level of health literacy in Czechia between 2015 and 2020


Authors: Zdeněk Kučera 1;  Štěpán Svačina 1,2;  Alena Šteflová 1,3
Authors‘ workplace: Ústav pro zdravotní gramotnost, z. ú., Praha 1;  3. interní klinika – klinika endokrinologie a metabolismu 1. LF UK a VFN v Praze 2;  Regionální výbor WHO pro Evropu 3
Published in: Čas. Lék. čes. 2023; 162: 84-92
Category: Original Articles

Overview

During the five years from 2015 to 2020, the proportion of people with limited health literacy decreased by 12%. This finding results from international research on the level of health literacy, which took place since 2019 till 2021 in 17 countries of the European region of the World Health Organization. In total, more than 42,000 respondents were interviewed, in Czechia there were 1,650 respondents. In 2020, however, we recorded a limited level of health literacy in 47% of the population over the age of 18. Respondents have the greatest problems with understanding health information from the media and with assessing different treatment options. Czechs (like Slovaks) have the biggest problem with following the instructions of a doctor or pharmacist. Health literacy is influenced by gender, age and education: women, older people and less educated people show higher levels of health literacy. The respondent's social gradient, primarily subjective social status has positive influence to health literacy while financial deprivation has negative influence. On the other hand, health literacy positively affects the physical activity of the respondent; subjectively perceived health and consumption of medical services are influenced as well. The Czech Health Literacy Institute is currently preparing monitoring in 2024–2025.

Keywords:

health literacy – determinants of health literacy – consequences of health literacy – social gradient – health behavior


Sources
  1. Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE et al. Low health literacy and health outcomes: an updated systematic review. Ann Intern Med 2011; 155: 97–107-
  2. HLS-EU Consortium. Comparative report on health literacy in eight EU member states. The European Health Literacy Project 2009–2012. Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Health Promotion Research, Vienna, 2012.
  3. Greene JC et al. Reduced hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and costs associated with a web-based health literacy, aligned-incentive intervention: mixed methods study. J Med Internet Res 2019, 21: e14772.
  4. WHO. Health Literacy. The Solid Facts. Český překlad: Zdravotní gramotnost. Solidní fakta. MZ ČR, ÚZG, SZÚ, Praha, 2020.
  5. Hnilicová H, Kučera Z, Těšinová J. Zdravotní aspekty chování obyvatel ČR v době pandemie COVID-19 z pohledu veřejného zdravotnictví. Časopis lékařů českých 2023; 2–3.
  6. Sørensen K, Trezona A, Levin Zamir D et al. Transforming health systems and societies by investing in health literacy policy and strategy. Public Health Panorama 2019; 5: 259–263.
  7. WHO. Action Network on Measuring Population and Organizational Health Literacy (M-POHL). Dostupné na: www.who.int/europe/groups/action-network-on-measuring-population-and-organizational-health-literacy-(m-pohl)
  8. The HLS19 Consortium of the WHO Action Network M-POHL (2021). International report on the methodology, results, and recommendations of the European Health Literacy Population Survey 2019–2021 (HLS19) of M-POHL. Austrian National Public Health Institute, Vienna, 2021. Dostupné na: www.uzg.cz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/HLS19_International-Report-002_0.pdf
  9. Kučera Z, Pelikan J, Šteflová A. Zdravotní gramotnost obyvatel ČR. Výsledky komparativního reprezentativního šetření. Časopis lékařů českých 2016; 155: 233–241.
  10. McDonald M, Shenkman LJ. Health literacy and health outcomes of adults in the United States: implications for providers. Internet J Allied Health Sci Pract 2018; 16: 2.
  11. Palumbo R. Examining the impacts of health literacy on healthcare costs. An evidence synthesis. Health Serv Manag Res 2017; 30 (4): 197–212.
  12. Pelikan JM, Ganahl K, Van den Broucke S, Sørensen K. Measuring health literacy in Europe: introducing the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q). In: Okan O, Bauer U, Levin-Zamir D, Pinheiro P, Sørensen K. International Handbook of Health Literacy. Policy Press 2019: 115–138.
  13. Rasu RS, Bawa WA, Suminski R et al. Health literacy impact on national healthcare utilization and expenditure. Int J Health Policy Manag 2015; 4: 747–755.
  14. Stormacq C, Wosinski J, Boillat E, Van den Broucke S. Effects of health literacy interventions on health-related outcomes in socioeconomically disadvantaged adults living in the community: a systematic review. JBI Evidence Synthesis 2020; 18: 1389–1469.
  15. WHO. Behavioural and cultural insights and COVID-19. Dostupné na: www.who.int/europe/emergencies/situations/covid-19/behavioural-and-cultural-insights-and-covid-19  
Labels
Addictology Allergology and clinical immunology Angiology Audiology Clinical biochemistry Dermatology & STDs Paediatric gastroenterology Paediatric surgery Paediatric cardiology Paediatric neurology Paediatric ENT Paediatric psychiatry Paediatric rheumatology Diabetology Pharmacy Vascular surgery Pain management Dental Hygienist

Article was published in

Journal of Czech Physicians

Issue 2-3

2023 Issue 2-3

Most read in this issue
Topics Journals
Login
Forgotten password

Enter the email address that you registered with. We will send you instructions on how to set a new password.

Login

Don‘t have an account?  Create new account

#ADS_BOTTOM_SCRIPTS#