IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i23p12755-d694238.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • Elena Guggiari

    (Careum Foundation, Health Literacy Department, Pestalozzistrasse 3, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
    Research Department, Careum School of Health, Gloriastrasse 18a, 8006 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
    Research Department, Careum School of Health, Gloriastrasse 18a, 8006 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)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Guggiari & Rebecca Jaks & Fabian Marc Pascal Berger & Dunja Nicca & Saskia Maria De Gani, 2021. "Health Literacy in the Canton of Zurich: First Results of a Representative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-12, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:23:p:12755-:d:694238
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/23/12755/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/23/12755/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bas Geboers & Sijmen A. Reijneveld & Jaap A. R. Koot & Andrea F. De Winter, 2018. "Moving towards a Comprehensive Approach for Health Literacy Interventions: The Development of a Health Literacy Intervention Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-11, June.
    2. Palumbo, Rocco & Annarumma, Carmela & Adinolfi, Paola & Musella, Marco & Piscopo, Gabriella, 2016. "The Italian Health Literacy Project: Insights from the assessment of health literacy skills in Italy," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(9), pages 1087-1094.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. David García-García & Francisco Javier Pérez-Rivas, 2022. "Health Literacy and Its Sociodemographic Predictors: A Cross-Sectional Study of a Population in Madrid (Spain)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-14, September.
    2. Chengbo Li & Mengyao Liu & Jin Zhou & Mei Zhang & Huanchang Liu & Yuting Wu & Hui Li & George W. Leeson & Tingting Deng, 2022. "Do Health Information Sources Influence Health Literacy among Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Urban Areas of Western China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-19, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ruth Koops van ‘t Jagt & Shu Ling Tan & John Hoeks & Sophie Spoorenberg & Sijmen A. Reijneveld & Andrea F. de Winter & Sonia Lippke & Carel Jansen, 2019. "Using Photo Stories to Support Doctor-Patient Communication: Evaluating a Communicative Health Literacy Intervention for Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Ivana Skoumalova & Andrea Madarasova Geckova & Jaroslav Rosenberger & Maria Majernikova & Peter Kolarcik & Daniel Klein & Andrea F. de Winter & Jitse P. van Dijk & Sijmen A. Reijneveld, 2022. "Low Health Literacy Is Associated with Poorer Physical and Mental Health-Related Quality of Life in Dialysed Patients," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-9, October.
    3. Marco D. Boonstra & Sijmen A. Reijneveld & Gerjan Navis & Ralf Westerhuis & Andrea F. de Winter, 2021. "Co-Creation of a Multi-Component Health Literacy Intervention Targeting Both Patients with Mild to Severe Chronic Kidney Disease and Health Care Professionals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-19, December.
    4. Liesbeth de Wit & Pania Karnaki & Archontoula Dalma & Peter Csizmadia & Charlotte Salter & Andrea de Winter & Louise Meijering, 2020. "Health Literacy in the Everyday Lives of Older Adults in Greece, Hungary, and the Netherlands," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-16, April.
    5. Cecilia Smaniotto & Anna Saramin & Laura Brunelli & Maria Parpinel, 2022. "Insights and Next Challenges for the Italian Educational System to Teach Sustainability in a Global Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Don Nutbeam & Diane Levin-Zamir & Gill Rowlands, 2018. "Health Literacy in Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-3, November.
    7. Chiara Lorini & Veronica Velasco & Guglielmo Bonaccorsi & Kevin Dadaczynski & Orkan Okan & Patrizio Zanobini & Luca P. Vecchio, 2022. "Validation of the COVID-19 Digital Health Literacy Instrument in the Italian Language: A Cross-Sectional Study of Italian University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-17, May.
    8. Francesca Gallè & Patrizia Calella & Christian Napoli & Fabrizio Liguori & Eduardo Alfonso Parisi & Giovanni Battista Orsi & Giorgio Liguori & Giuliana Valerio, 2020. "Are Health Literacy and Lifestyle of Undergraduates Related to the Educational Field? An Italian Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-9, September.
    9. Josefin Wångdahl & Per Lytsy & Lena Mårtensson & Ragnar Westerling, 2018. "Poor health and refraining from seeking healthcare are associated with comprehensive health literacy among refugees: a Swedish cross-sectional study," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(3), pages 409-419, April.
    10. Marise S. Kaper & Jane Sixsmith & Sijmen A. Reijneveld & Andrea F. de Winter, 2021. "Outcomes and Critical Factors for Successful Implementation of Organizational Health Literacy Interventions: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-21, November.
    11. Carel J. M. Jansen & Ruth Koops van ’t Jagt & Sijmen A. Reijneveld & Ellen van Leeuwen & Andrea F. de Winter & John C. J. Hoeks, 2021. "Improving Health Literacy Responsiveness: A Randomized Study on the Uptake of Brochures on Doctor-Patient Communication in Primary Health Care Waiting Rooms," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-17, May.
    12. Carmela Annarumma & Rocco Palumbo & Ersilia Troiano & Stefania Vezzosi, 2017. "Una misurazione "euristica" dell?alfabetizzazione alimentare: alcuni spunti esplorativi," MECOSAN, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2017(102), pages 61-83.
    13. Loredana Covolo & Miriam Guana & Guglielmo Bonaccorsi & Laura Brunelli & Silvana Castaldi & Antonella De Donno & Alessandra Mereu & Marco Verani & Umberto Gelatti, 2022. "Exploring the Online Health Information-Seeking Behavior in a Sample of Italian Women: The “SEI Donna” Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-18, April.
    14. Rocco Palumbo, 2017. "Toward a new conceptualization of health care services to inspire public health. Public national health service as a “common pool of resources”," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 14(3), pages 271-287, September.
    15. Liobikienė, Genovaitė & Bernatonienė, Jurga, 2018. "The determinants of access to information on the Internet and knowledge of health related topics in European countries," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(12), pages 1348-1355.
    16. Palumbo, Rocco & Adinolfi, Paola & Annarumma, Carmela & Catinello, Giuseppina & Tonelli, Marco & Troiano, Ersilia & Vezzosi, Stefania & Manna, Rosalba, 2019. "Unravelling the food literacy puzzle: Evidence from Italy," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 104-115.
    17. Elio Borgonovi & Paola Adinolfi & Rocco Palumbo & Gabriella Piscopo, 2018. "Framing the Shades of Sustainability in Health Care: Pitfalls and Perspectives from Western EU Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-20, November.
    18. Jim Broch Skarli, 2021. "Creating or Destructing Value in Use? Handling Cognitive Impairments in Co-Creation with Serious and Chronically Ill Users," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, February.
    19. Anthony Faiola & Maged N. Kamel Boulos & Salman Bin Naeem & Aziz ur-Rehman, 2022. "Integrating Social and Family Support as a Measure of Health Outcomes: Validity Implications from the Integrated Model of Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-19, December.
    20. Margot Jager & Janine de Zeeuw & Janne Tullius & Roberta Papa & Cinzia Giammarchi & Amanda Whittal & Andrea F. de Winter, 2019. "Patient Perspectives to Inform a Health Literacy Educational Program: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-23, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:23:p:12755-:d:694238. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.