Abstract
Background: Health literacy is an increasingly important public health concern. However, little is known about the health literacy of general public in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of low health literacy and demographic associations in Shanghai, China. Methods: This study was a community-based cross-sectional health survey utilizing a multi-stage random sampling design. The sample consisted of 1360 individuals aged 15–69 years with the total community-dwelling Chinese as the sample frame. Health literacy was measured by a questionnaire developed on the basis of a national health literacy manual released by the Chinese Ministry of Health. Multiple logistic regression models were used to identify whether common socio-demographic features were associated with health literacy level. Results: The prevalence of low health literacy was 84.49% (95% CI, 82.56% to 86.41%). The prevalence of low health literacy was negatively associated with the level of education, occupation, and annual household income, but was not associated with gender, age, or the presence of non-communicable chronic disease. Conclusions: Simplifying health services, enhancing health education, and promoting interventions to improve health literacy in high-risk populations should be considered as part of the strategies in the making of health policy in China.
Highlights
IntroductionHealth literacy has been defined by the US Institute of Medicine (IoM) as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health-related decisions and follow instructions for treatment” [1,2]
Health literacy has been defined by the US Institute of Medicine (IoM) as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health-related decisions and follow instructions for treatment” [1,2].This definition was further enhanced by WHO to “the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health” [3]
A study conducted at two urban public hospitals in America [9] examined the functional health literacy level of patients with hypertension or diabetes
Summary
Health literacy has been defined by the US Institute of Medicine (IoM) as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health-related decisions and follow instructions for treatment” [1,2]. This definition was further enhanced by WHO to “the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health” [3]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of low health literacy and demographic associations in Shanghai, China
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