Communicative health literacy and associated variables in nine European countries: results from the HLS19 survey
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Our study aimed to report on variables associated with communicative health literacy (COM-HL) in European adults. The HLS19 survey was conducted in 2019–2021 including nine countries which measured COM-HL by using a validated questionnaire (HLS19-COM-P-Q6 with a score ranging from 0 to 100). Linear regression models were used to study variables associated with COM-HL globally (multilevel model with random intercepts and slopes and at country level) and in each country. Additional models studied each of the HLS19-COM-P-Q6 items separately. The mean COM-HL score ranged between 62.5 and 76.6 across countries. Among the 18,137 pooled participants, COM-HL was positively associated with age, a higher self-perceived social status, previous training in healthcare, an increasing number of general practitioner visits; and negatively associated with female sex, reported financial difficulties, having a chronic condition and an increasing number of specialist visits. These effects were heterogeneous from one country to another, and from one item to another when analysing the different COM-HL items separately. However, there was a consistent statistically significant association between COM-HL (score and each item) and financial difficulties as well as self-perceived social status in all countries. Interventions to improve communication between patients and physicians should be a high priority to limit communication disparities.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Salvatore Metanmo, Hanne Søberg Finbråten, Henrik Bøggild, Peter Nowak, Robert Griebler, Øystein Guttersrud, Éva Bíró, Brigid Unim, Rana Charafeddine, Lennert Griese, Zdenek Kucera, Christopher Le, Doris Schaeffer, Mitja Vrdelja, Julien Mancini, Jürgen Pelikan, Christa Straßmayr, Robert Griebler, Christina Dietscher, Stephan van den Broucke, Rana Charafeddine, Antoniya Yanakieva, Nigyar Dzhafer, Zdeněk Kucera, Alena Steflova, Henrik Bøggild, Andreas Jull Sørensen, Julien Mancini, Cécile Allaire, Doris Schaeffer, Alexander Schmidt-Gernig, Éva Bíró, Lucy Bruton, Sarah Gibney, Diane Levin-Zamir, Luigi Palmieri, Daniela Galeone, Kjell Sverre Pettersen, Christopher Le, Andreia Jorge Silva da Costa, Miguel Telo de Arriaga, Maria Lopatina, Oxana Drapkina, Zuzana Klocháňová, Mitja Vrdelja, Tamara Štemberger Kolnik, Saskia Maria De Gani, Karin Gasser
Institutions: Inserm, Aix-Marseille Université, Economic & Social Sciences, Health Systems & Medical Informatics, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, University of Inland Norway, Aalborg University, University of Oslo, University of Debrecen, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Sciensano (Belgium), Bielefeld University, National Institute of Public Health, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, UCLouvain, Medical University of Sofia, National Academy of Arts, Ministry of Health, Danish Ministry of Health, Santé Publique France, Federal Ministry of Health, Department of Health, Clalit Health Services, University of Haifa, Ministero della Salute, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Norwegian Directorate of Health, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, National Research Center for Preventive Medicine, Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic, Ministry of Health, Federal Office of Public Health
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,590
Awards: G4294990157, G7692122778
OpenAlex ID: W4405030809