Health Literacy of Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Survey

Abstract

Background: Gulf nations employ large numbers of migrant workers. In Saudi Arabia, for example, migrant workers comprise 30% of its total population. However, the health literacy levels of these workers are reported to be low, and studies focusing on this topic are limited. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the level of health literacy of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A convenience sample of 127 migrant workers in Saudi Arabia were surveyed using the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool (BHLST) from September 2019 to November 2019. A comparison of the BHLST scores of the participants was performed. This study adhered to the STROBE checklist. Key Results: Out of the 127 respondents, 28 reported experiencing health problems, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, back pain, hepatitis A, rheumatic disorders, allergy, headache, kidney disease, and colitis. The majority of the participants (55.12%) had inadequate overall health literacy levels, 31.50% had marginal health literacy levels, and only 13.38% had adequate health literacy levels. Among the 13.38% participants who had adequate health literacy, more Arabic-speaking individuals than their non-Arabic-speaking counterparts had adequate health literacy by percentage. Conclusion: Overall, the findings of the study revealed that most migrant workers had inadequate or low health literacy levels, as indicated by their BHLST scores. The health authorities in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries need to develop health literacy interventions geared toward increasing the health literacy levels of their migrant workers. Keywords: Brief health literacy screening tool; Expatriate workers; Health literacy; Migrant workers; Saudi Arabia