Level of health literacy in Latvia and Lithuania: a population-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Measuring and understanding the level of health literacy serves as a starting point for developing various policies in health care. The consequences of weak health literacy competencies are severe; they result in riskier health behaviour, poorer health status, more frequent emergency visits and hospitalizations. This research has three aims: i) measure the level of health literacy in the populations of Latvia and Lithuania; ii) investigate which demographic and socioeconomic determinants are associated with it; and iii) discuss the means of improving its current level.

Methods

We employ a validated survey tool, the 47-item European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q). In addition to the 47 questions in the domains of health care, disease prevention, and healt

SUBMITTER: Gatulyte I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9275389 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature