Health literacy in Europe

Comparative results of the European health literacy survey (HLS-EU)

Bibliographic Data

ID23369745
AuthorsKathryn Sorensen (0000-0002-6179-7004, Maastricht University), Kristine Sørensen, Jürgen M Pelikan (Ludwig Boltzmann Institut Health Promotion Research), Florian Röthlin (Ludwig Boltzmann Institut Health Promotion Research), Kristin Ganahl (0000-0001-7322-6754, Ludwig Boltzmann Institut Health Promotion Research), Zofia Słońska (Institute of Cardiology), Gerardine Doyle (0000-0001-8516-4431, University College Dublin), James Fullam (0000-0002-7434-5269, University College Dublin), Barbara Kondilis (0000-0002-0421-8467, Anatolia College), Demosthenes Agrafiotis (National School of Public Health), Ellen Uiters (0000-0003-4404-2117, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), María Falcón Romero (0000-0002-5013-685X, Universidad de Murcia), Maria Falcon, Monika Mensing, Kancho Tchamov (Medical University of Sofia), Stephan Van Den Broucke (0000-0002-9090-8877, UCLouvain), Howard Brand (0000-0002-2755-0673, Maastricht University), Helmut Brand
Year2015
Volume25
Issue6
Pages1053-1058
Publication date2015-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1101-1262 • E-ISSN: 1464-360X
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/eurpub/ckv043
PMID25843827
OpenAlexW2137800079
LanguageEN
Citations received433
References cited10

BACKGROUND: Health literacy concerns the capacities of people to meet the complex demands of health in modern society. In spite of the growing attention for the concept among European health policymakers, researchers and practitioners, information about the status of health literacy in Europe remains scarce. This article presents selected findings from the first European comparative survey on health literacy in populations. M ETHODS: The European health literacy survey (HLS-EU) was conducted in eight countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain (n = 1000 per country, n = 8000 total sample). Data collection was based on Eurobarometer standards and the implementation of the HLS-EU-Q (questionnaire) in computer-assisted or paper-assisted personal interviews. R ESULTS: The HLS-EU-Q constructed four levels of health literacy: insufficient, problematic, sufficient and excellent. At least 1 in 10 (12%) respondents showed insufficient health literacy and almost 1 in 2 (47%) had limited (insufficient or problematic) health literacy. However, the distribution of levels differed substantially across countries (29-62%). Subgroups within the population, defined by financial deprivation, low social status, low education or old age, had higher proportions of people with limited health literacy, suggesting the presence of a social gradient which was also confirmed by raw bivariate correlations and a multivariate linear regression model. DISCUSSION: Limited health literacy represents an important challenge for health policies and practices across Europe, but to a different degree for different countries. The social gradient in health literacy must be taken into account when developing public health strategies to improve health equity in Europe.

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