Abstract
Adequate health literacy is important for strong health outcomes during pregnancy, particularly among mothers with high risk of adverse outcomes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Understanding the health literacy of young pregnant women in low-income settings could support strategies to reduce adverse outcomes in this population. This exploratory study assessed the health literacy of young pregnant adolescents and young adults from a rural area in Northeast Brazil and associated factors such as socioeconomic conditions, adequacy of prenatal care, and social support from family and friends. In this cross-sectional study, 41 pregnant adolescents (13–18 years) and 45 pregnant adults (23–28 years) from the Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil, were assessed regarding health literacy through the Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Portuguese-Speaking Adults (SAHLPA, score from 0–18, inadequate if <15). Income sufficiency, self-perceived school performance, compliance with recommendations for adequate prenatal care, and social support were also assessed. A linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the variables associated with the SAHLPA score. Ninety-five percent of the adolescents and 53.3% of the adults (p < 0.001) presented inadequate health literacy. Adolescent age (β − 3.5, p < 0.001), poorer self-perceived school performance (β − 2.8, p < 0.001), and insufficient income for basic needs (β − 2.8, p = 0.014) were associated with worse SAHLPA scores. Adolescent mothers have higher rates of inadequate health literacy in this population. Policies are needed to improve access to health information for young populations from rural low-income areas.
Highlights
The World Health Organization defines “health literacy” as “the personal characteristics and social resources needed for individuals and communities to access, understand, appraise, and use information and services to make decisions about health” [1]
We found lower health literacy among pregnant adolescents as compared with adults, with a greater proportion of the adolescent sample having low health literacy
Poorer results were associated with self-perceived school performance as compared with peers equal to others or worse and worse perception of income sufficiency
Summary
The World Health Organization defines “health literacy” as “the personal characteristics and social resources needed for individuals and communities to access, understand, appraise, and use information and services to make decisions about health” [1]. On the one hand, individuals with adequate health literacy levels are better equipped to manage their health and the health of their families and communities [2]. Excellent health literacy requires being able to read, write, fill out forms, and comprehend health information, all necessary skills to understand health-related materials and to act efficiently in different situations [8]. Adolescent and young adult years are critical for the development of social, emotional, and cognitive skills that are necessary to have autonomy over health and to establishing healthy patterns of behavior over the life-course [9,10]. Adequate health literacy during these years can help reduce environmental and interpersonal barriers that young people often face when interacting with health systems [9]
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