Abstract
Health literacy: a critical concept for public health
Highlights
If health literacy can be considered as a critical determinant of public health, what is its current status in the population? The available evidence suggests that more people have limited health literacy than is often assumed
In Europe, findings from the recent European Health Literacy Survey [8] indicate that 12% of the people surveyed have inadequate general health literacy, and 35% have problematic health literacy
The prevalence of problematic health literacy varies widely between countries and between groups within populations, it is clear that health literacy is not just a problem of a small minority [9]
Summary
If health literacy can be considered as a critical determinant of public health, what is its current status in the population? The available evidence suggests that more people have limited health literacy than is often assumed. To address this “health literacy epidemic” [10], action is needed to improve health literacy. A recent policy document issued by the European Regional Office of WHO [9] calls for action at different levels: to ensure better health communication through establishing health literacy guidelines; to create and strengthen health literacy–friendly settings; and to develop policies for health literacy at the local, national and international level.
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