From health care hospitals to health literate organizations: the case of health literacy of health workers in Brazil

Abstract

Abstract Background Health literacy (HL) presents itself as a strategy to rethink lifestyles and enhance health promotion strategies (with the inclusion of social determinants of health) in the workplace. The aim of this research was to evaluate HL levels of health workers from the urgency and emergency sector of a public hospital in Brazil (Uberaba, Minas Gerais, HC/UFTM-SUS). Methods An exploratory, quantitative and qualitative research based in the European Health Literacy survey (validated to Brasil HLS-EU-BR) collected data from 216 participants, by the means of a CAWI methodology. Results A total of 141 participants were retained for data analysis. HL level of participants from the administrative sector reached a score of 40.0% for insufficient and problematic HL; 33.3% had sufficient HL levels and 26.7% showed excellent HL levels. For the category of Healthcare medium / technical level, 48.2% had inadequate and problematic HL; 37.5% had sufficient and 14.3% showed excellent HL levels. In the third category - Healthcare participants with higher education levels - 31.6% had problematic, 34.2% sufficient and 34.2% showed excellent HL levels. Conclusions This is the first time the instrument (HLS-EU-BR) to evaluate HL is used in a health professional setting in Brazil. This research demonstrated that HL is sensitive to socioeconomic differences and highlights the need to promote HL of health workers. Targeting lower socioeconomic groups that have a routine of dealing with the general public in a public hospital to increment HL levels, seems to be an option worth investigating. Such a proposition could not only benefit the specific worker, but target a social change in quality of care, health promotion and social support that can be centered in hospitals. This would trigger the needed change proposed by WHO in Nairobi and Shangai: shifting health care organizations to health literate organizations.