Occupational Health Literacy Scale (OHLS)

Development and validation of a domain-specific measuring instrument

Bibliographic Data

ID22945155
AuthorsJulian Friedrich (0000-0002-6934-7147, University of Tübingen, corresponding author), Anne-Kristin Münch (0000-0002-7613-4609, Medical University of Tübingen, Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Applied Biostatistics , Silcherstraße 5, 72076 Tübingen , Germany), Ansgar Thiel (0000-0001-9217-0442, University of Tübingen), Susanne Voelter‐Mahlknecht (0000-0002-9876-5604, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität, Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Occupational Medicine , Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin , Germany), Gorden Sudeck (0000-0002-7051-7385, University of Tübingen)
Year2023
Volume38
Issue1
Publication date2023-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Promotion International (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0957-4824 • E-ISSN: 1460-2245
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/heapro/daac182
PMID36738454
OpenAlexW4319214707
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited41

Occupational health literacy (OHL) is a domain-specific approach that can empower people to make health-appropriate decisions in the work environment. OHL comprises the knowledge, skills and willingness of people to access and process health-related information and to apply it in work situations. The aim of this study was to evolve a conceptual model and validate a scale for OHL, that can be used in many sectors in the Western industrial countries, which does not yet exist. After piloting, item selection and alteration were carried out in a pretest with n = 163 working adults in diverse small- and medium-sized enterprises in Germany. The resulting OHL items were validated in a main survey with n = 828 participants working in small- and medium-sized enterprises and among them 47.5% people with migration background. The final 12-item questionnaire had good structural characteristics and is reliable and valid for measuring OHL. Using exploratory structural equation modeling, good fit indices (root mean square error of approximation = 0.063, comparative fit index = 0.940) confirmed a two-factor structure: (i) knowledge and skill-based processing of health information (internal consistency α = 0.88) and (ii) willingness and responsibility for occupational health (α = 0.74). The OHL scale fills the gap regarding domain-specific OHL questionnaires for working adults in diverse sectors in Western industrial countries. The Occupational Health Literacy Scale can be used to identify the needs of employees and companies and then to adapt and evaluate health promotion measures. Further research could include validation and use in other countries and large companies.

Consistency (knowledge bases) · Domain (mathematical analysis) · Geography · Health care · Health literacy · Health promotion · Knowledge management · Literacy · Pedagogy · Political science · Public health · Scale (ratio) · Structural equation modeling · Workplace health promotion · Applied Psychology · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Delphi Technique in Research · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Mathematics · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · School Health and Nursing Education