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

Author

Listed:
  • Miguel Arriaga

    (Divisão de Literacia, Saúde e Bem-Estar, Direção-Geral da Saúde, 1049-005 Lisbon, Portugal
    Católica Research Centre for Psychological—Family and Social Wellbeing (CRC-W), Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 1649-023 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
    Laboratório de Biomatemática, Instituto de Medicina Preventiva e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, 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
    Nursing Research, Innovation and Development Centre of Lisbon (CIDNUR), Nursing School of Lisbon (ESEL), 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Miguel Arriaga & Rita Francisco & Paulo Nogueira & Jorge Oliveira & Carlota Silva & Gisele Câmara & Kristine Sørensen & Christina Dietscher & Andreia Costa, 2022. "Health Literacy in Portugal: Results of the Health Literacy Population Survey Project 2019–2021," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:7:p:4225-:d:785457
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Janine Bröder & Orkan Okan & Torsten M. Bollweg & Dirk Bruland & Paulo Pinheiro & Ullrich Bauer, 2019. "Child and Youth Health Literacy: A Conceptual Analysis and Proposed Target-Group-Centred Definition," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Liliane Moreira, 2018. "Health literacy for people-centred care: Where do OECD countries stand?," OECD Health Working Papers 107, OECD Publishing.
    3. Lennert Griese & Eva-Maria Berens & Peter Nowak & Jürgen M. Pelikan & Doris Schaeffer, 2020. "Challenges in Navigating the Health Care System: Development of an Instrument Measuring Navigation Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-17, August.
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    1. Marta Falcão & Mariateresa Allocca & Ana Sofia Rodrigues & Pedro Granjo & Rita Francisco & Carlota Pascoal & Maria Grazia Rossi & Dorinda Marques-da-Silva & Salvador C. M. Magrinho & Jaak Jaeken & Lar, 2023. "A Community-Based Participatory Framework to Co-Develop Patient Education Materials (PEMs) for Rare Diseases: A Model Transferable across Diseases," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Andreia Costa & Rodrigo Feteira-Santos & Violeta Alarcão & Adriana Henriques & Teresa Madeira & Ana Virgolino & Miguel Arriaga & Paulo J. Nogueira, 2023. "Health Literacy among Older Adults in Portugal and Associated Sociodemographic, Health and Healthcare-Related Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-16, February.
    3. Dulce Nascimento Do Ó & Ana Rita Goes & Gerald Elsworth & João F. Raposo & Isabel Loureiro & Richard H. Osborne, 2022. "Cultural Adaptation and Validity Testing of the Portuguese Version of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-18, May.
    4. 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.
    5. Ya Gao & Chen Chen & Hong Hui & Mingyue Chen & Ning Chen & Hong Chen & Weiming Zeng & Yan Wei & Zhaoxin Wang & Jianwei Shi, 2022. "Improving Health Literacy: Analysis of the Relationship between Residents’ Usage of Information Channels and Health Literacy in Shanghai, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-11, May.

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