A cross-sectional health literacy profile of Australian regional adults using the Health Literacy Questionnaire©

Abstract

ObjectiveHealth literacy is the resources and abilities required to make and enact health decisions. This study aimed to describe the health literacy of a diverse cross-section of adults in regional Victoria. MethodsParticipants were recruited from two primary care clinics differing in socioeconomic scope and through non-clinical recruitment via the town’s largest football club. Health Literacy Questionnaire© measured nine distinct scales, and comprehensive demographic data were also collected. Effect-sizes and regression were used for health literacy comparison between groups. ResultsIn this sample of 351 adults, health literacy strengths were observed in Scale 1: ‘Feeling understood and supported by healthcare providers’ (mean 3.29/4 ±0.5) and Scale 9: ‘Understanding health information well enough to know what to do’ (mean 4.10/5 ±0.6). Challenging areas were Scale 5: ‘Appraising health information’ (mean 2.88/4 ±0.5) and Scale 7: ‘Navigating the healthcare system’ (mean 3.84/5 ±0.6). After adjustment, living alone predicted lower scores across most scales. ConclusionsThis study showed greater health literacy barriers experienced by certain groups, particularly those who live alone and those who weren’t clinically recruited. Implications for public healthThese findings have implications for further research into addressing health literacy barriers in marginalised individuals and non-clinical settings. Results from this study may inform interventions which address identified barriers.