Health Literacy in Africa—A Scoping Review of Scientific Publications

Bibliographic Data

ID15501502
AuthorsKathryn Sorensen (0000-0002-6179-7004, Global Health Literacy Academy, corresponding author), Verena Knoll (0009-0001-2685-689X, Gesundheit Österreich), Neida Neto Vicente Ramos (0000-0002-2042-309X, University of Lisbon), Millicent Addai Boateng (0000-0002-8198-6427, Global College), Guda Alemayehu (0000-0002-3947-4073, University of South Africa), Laura Schamberger (Management Center Innsbruck), Stefanie Harsch (0000-0003-4506-5302, University of Freiburg)
Year2024
Volume21
Issue11
Pages1456-1456
Publication date2024-10-31
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph21111456
PMID39595723
OpenAlexW4403939795
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited20

Africa's health landscape is rapidly changing, requiring new solutions such as a focus on health literacy. However, there is currently a limited overview of the development and application of health literacy in African countries and societies. This scoping review aims to analyze scientific publications on health literacy in Africa with regards to research approaches, historical developments, geographic origins, target populations and settings, and topical interests. The research followed Arksey and O'Malley six steps of scoping reviews and employed the Joanna Briggs Institute's PCC method for search string formulation and the PRISMA-SCR checklist for reporting. On 11 July 2022, the following six databases were searched for scientific articles including included reports, policy briefs, book chapters, and research publications: PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, ERIC, African Journals Online, and African Index Medicus. A total of 336 articles were identified. The research team co-developed a codebook and three researchers independently extracted data. The analysis provided the most comprehensive overview of the current scope and scale of health literacy in Africa to date. The publications represented 37 of the 54 African Union countries and dated back to 2001, although most were published in the last decade. The content analysis identified 13 broad themes, including mental health, communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, maternal health, digital health, information and communication, health care, prevention and health promotion, conceptual perspectives, cultural perspectives, and outcomes and measurement. The analysis of target groups revealed a wide range of actors involved in different settings, mostly in health care or community settings. These comprehensive and novel findings can be used to prioritize future actions for public and professional capacity building, policy development, and improved practice to improve health literacy for all in Africa

Health care · Health literacy · Medical education · MEDLINE · Political science · PsycINFO · Public relations · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Medicine · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications

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