3.X.1. Health literacy in Europe: Building a comparative database for shaping public health policy

Abstract

Abstract Health literacy (HL) is a key determinant of health and a lever for health equity. It refers to the extent to which individuals are able to deal with health-related information, communicate with health professionals, and navigate the health care system to restore, maintain, protect, and improve their health and well-being. It is the result of an interplay between personal motivation, individual competencies and the health information and service environment. HL is strongly related to health behaviors and issues such as obesity, the social determinants of health, and the use of health systems, which have been under pressure since COVID-19. The development and implementation of targeted public health interventions to promote HL in the European Region require reliable and comparable data on population HL to identify the main HL challenges and the most affected population groups. The WHO Action Network on Measuring Population and Organizational Health Literacy (M-POHL) has started monitoring population HL and conducted the first M-POHL Health Literacy Survey (HLS19) in 17 countries in the WHO European Region between 2019 and 2021. In preparation for the 2nd M-POHL Health Literacy Survey (2024-2026; HLS24), the HLS19 instruments were further improved and supplemented by a new measure on mental HL. These instruments are also of interest to the European Joint Action PreventNCD with its specific task on HL and non-communicable diseases (7.4). The workshop will provide insights into the M-POHL HLS24, the largest HL survey in Europe, and the HL instruments used. It consists of four presentations, one describing the M-POHL HLS24 project and three on specific HL instruments used to assess different aspects of HL in the European general population: HLS24-DIGI for digital HL; HLS24-COM-P for communicative HL; HLS24-NAV for navigational HL. Each presentation will describe the revised item set and results from pretests. We invite the audience to ask questions and to engage in a (cross-cutting) discussion with the presenters. Expected impact: The presentations will provide a comprehensive overview of the advanced family of instruments used in the HLS24 study, their quality, and the expected HL data for Europe. They will provide a deeper understanding of how HL will be measured in the M-POHL HLS24 project. Key messages • The advanced family of HL instruments used in the M-POHL HLS24 project enables comprehensive HL monitoring in Europe. • The data collected in HLS24 will provide a solid database for shaping public health policy to strengthen population HL and promote health equity in Europe.