Prevalence and determiners of health literacy in Turkey

Abstract

Background The limited level of HL is one of the important issues in Turkey. The validity of HLS-EU questionnaire was tested in Turkey in 2012, but it was not applied to identify the health literacy level. It is necessary to identify our society's level of health literacy and eliminate the negativities of insufficient health literacy for the individual and the society. For HL, a great duty falls to the primary healthcare workers which are in close relationship with the public. It was aimed in the study to evaluate the health literacy level of individuals above 18 years old who applied to primary healthcare centres in the capital city of Turkey. This is the first study for determining the HL level with a scale of which validity had been tested in Turkey and purports to be the pilot of the research concerning the determination of HL level by using the HLS-EU all over the country Objectives In the cross-sectional-type research, the sample size was calculated by the probability convenience sampling method, and 2139 individuals were accessed. Data collection was based on Euro barometer standards and the implementation of the HLS-EU-Q (questionnaire) in computer-assisted or paper-assisted personal interviews. The questionnaire constructed four levels of health literacy: insufficient, problematic, sufficient and excellent. Results Almost 3 in 4 (73,5%) have limited (insufficient/problematic) health literacy (30,5% insufficient and 43,0% problematic) According to bivariate correlations and multivariate linear regression model, Limited HL scores were significantly associated with older age, low educational and economic level. Conclusions The HL level is low in Turkey. This research should be performed all over the country. Key message: Improvement of society's educational level and economic status should be given priority in the health policies so that the HL level can be increased to a sufficient point