Health literacy, health empowerment and health information search in the field of MMR vaccination: a cross-sectional study protocol

Background: Nurses should have a good level of e-health literacy to help patients utilize e-health information. Objective: To measure e-health literacy skills and contribute factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 2209 nursing student in Indonesia (October–November 2019) using eHeals. Result: The overall eHealth literacy was 4 (Scale 1–5). There were statistically significant differences between e-Heals score with contribute factors (<0.001). Conclusion: Indonesian nursing students already have basic necessary skills of e-health.

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Simple scoring algorithm to identify community-dwelling older adults with limited health literacy: a cross-sectional study in Taiwan

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045411 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. e045411

Author(s):

Wen-Hsuan Hou ◽

Ken N Kuo ◽

Mu-Jean Chen ◽

Yao-Mao Chang ◽

Han-Wei Tsai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Literacy ◽

High Risk ◽

Health Information ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Scoring Algorithm ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

ObjectiveHealth literacy (HL) is the degree of individuals’ capacity to access, understand, appraise and apply health information and services required to make appropriate health decisions. This study aimed to establish a predictive algorithm for identifying community-dwelling older adults with a high risk of limited HL.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingFour communities in northern, central and southern Taiwan.ParticipantsA total of 648 older adults were included. Moreover, 85% of the core data set was used to generate the prediction model for the scoring algorithm, and 15% was used to test the fitness of the model.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPearson’s χ2 test and multiple logistic regression were used to identify the significant factors associated with the HL level. An optimal cut-off point for the scoring algorithm was identified on the basis of the maximum sensitivity and specificity.ResultsA total of 350 (54.6%) patients were classified as having limited HL. We identified 24 variables that could significantly differentiate between sufficient and limited HL. Eight factors that could significantly predict limited HL were identified as follows: a socioenvironmental determinant (ie, dominant spoken dialect), a health service use factor (ie, having family doctors), a health cost factor (ie, self-paid vaccination), a heath behaviour factor (ie, searching online health information), two health outcomes (ie, difficulty in performing activities of daily living and requiring assistance while visiting doctors), a participation factor (ie, attending health classes) and an empowerment factor (ie, self-management during illness). The scoring algorithm yielded an area under the curve of 0.71, and an optimal cut-off value of 5 represented moderate sensitivity (62.0%) and satisfactory specificity (76.2%).ConclusionThis simple scoring algorithm can efficiently and effectively identify community-dwelling older adults with a high risk of limited HL.

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Is Electronic Health Literacy Associated with Learning Outcomes among Medical Students in the First Clinical Year?: A Cross-Sectional Study

European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education ◽

10.3390/ejihpe11030068 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 923-932 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Krittai Tanasombatkul ◽

Kanokporn Pinyopornpanish ◽

Chaisiri Angkurawaranon ◽

Nida Buawangpong ◽

Auswin Rojanasumapong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Medical Students ◽

Learning Outcomes ◽

Health Information ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

The Internet ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Electronic Health

Medical students tend to use the internet as a primary resource when seeking health information. This study aims to assess the patterns of internet use, eHL level, and learning outcomes with eHL among medical students at Chiang Mai University. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 88 medical students in the first clinical year. The eHL level was determined using the Thai version of the electronic Health Literacy Scale or eHEALS. The patient case report scores were obtained representing the learning outcome. Linear regression was used to identify factors influencing their eHL level and case report scores. Students recognized the importance and usefulness of the internet. The mean eHEALS score was 33.45. There was a lower degree of agreement on questions regarding internet usage, having skills to evaluate the resources, and confidence in using health information to make health decisions. The eHEALS score had no statistically significant association with most variables and case report scores, but with the longer time of internet use (p-value = 0.014). Although medical students perceived that they have high eHL levels, they report lower confidence in using the information. Including critical thinking skills for electronic health information in the medical curriculum could be useful.

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Health Literacy in Residential Addiction Treatment Programs: Study Protocol of a Cross-Sectional Study in People with Substance Use Disorders

10.35198/01-2020-002-0009 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Substance Use Disorders ◽

Study Protocol ◽

Addiction Treatment ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Treatment Programs ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

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The effect of Dr Google on doctor–patient encounters in primary care: a quantitative, observational, cross-sectional study

BJGP Open ◽

10.3399/bjgpopen17x100833 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. bjgpopen17X100833 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Noor Van Riel ◽

Koen Auwerx ◽

Pieterjan Debbaut ◽

Sanne Van Hees ◽

Birgitte Schoenmakers

Keyword(s):

Health Information ◽

Information Search ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

The Internet ◽

Online Health Information ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Internet Search ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Old Patients ◽

Positive Effects

BackgroundTwo-thirds of all patients search the internet prior to a health consultation.AimTo explore how searching for online health information before visiting a doctor influences patients’ behaviour during the consultation.Design & settingA quantitative, observational, and cross-sectional study of 18–75-year-old patients who used the internet.MethodPatients were recruited by social media for the quantitative study. This was followed by a qualitiative study of GPs who were questioned in focus groups. Two questions were addressed: What is the effect of searching online health information on the behaviour of the patients? How does the GP handle this information?ResultsAlmost half of all responders (total n = 963) usually went to the doctor after the online information search but two-thirds were not reassured by the internet search. More than half of responders had more confidence in their GP after searching online. The older the responders, the more they went to the doctor after their internet search and the younger the responders, the more they were worried. The more frequently people consulted the internet for specific complaints, the more likely they reported reassurance.DiscussionPatients usually made an appointment with their GP after the internet search. New symptoms are rarely noticed and the search usually did not lead patients to distrust their GP. The majority of GPs described positive effects of the online search behaviour on the consultation.ConclusionThe emerging use of the internet for searching health information, commonly referred to as 'Dr Google', is not seen as a threat by GPs and leads to a better mutual understanding of symptoms and diagnosis.

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The impact of health literacy on health outcomes in individuals with chronic pain: a cross-sectional study

Physiotherapy ◽

10.1016/j.physio.2018.11.006 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 105 (3) ◽

pp. 346-353

Author(s):

Laura M. Mackey ◽

Catherine Blake ◽

Maire-Brid Casey ◽

Camillus K. Power ◽

Ray Victory ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

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Insights into the Predictors of Attitude toward Entomophagy: The Potential Role of Health Literacy: A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in a Sample of Students of the University of Florence

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105306 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5306

Author(s):

Chiara Lorini ◽

Laura Ricotta ◽

Virginia Vettori ◽

Marco Del Riccio ◽

Massimiliano Alberto Biamonte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Potential Role ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

University Of Florence ◽

The University ◽

Self Administered Questionnaire

In Western countries, one of the main barriers to entomophagy is repulsion toward insects. Few studies have investigated the factors that influence attitudes toward entomophagy. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study involving a sample of 248 university students, focusing on disgust and other potential attributes that can influence insect consumption, including health literacy. We used a 17-item self-administered questionnaire. Consistent with the literature, two items were chosen as outcome variables to evaluate the predictors of the propensity to consume insects: “Have you ever eaten insects or insect-based products?” and “How disgusting do you find eating insects?” The data analysis shows that having already eaten insects is inversely associated with the level of disgust (OR: 0.1, p < 0.01); and it is positively associated with higher levels of health literacy (OR: 3.66, p > 0.01). Additionally, having some knowledge and information about entomophagy is inversely associated with a higher level of disgust (OR: 0.44, p = 0.03 and OR: 0.25, p = 0.03, respectively), while being female is positively associated with disgust (OR: 3.26, p < 0.01). Our results suggest the potential role of health literacy, in addition to other factors, in influencing the willingness to taste insects. However, further studies involving larger and non-convenience samples are needed to confirm our hypothesis.

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Low health literacy is associated with higher risk of type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study in Germany

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10508-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Tajdar ◽

Dagmar Lühmann ◽

Regina Fertmann ◽

Tim Steinberg ◽

Hendrik van den Bussche ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Statistical Models ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Diabetes Risk ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Low Health Literacy ◽

The Individual

Abstract Background Low health literacy is believed to be associated with behaviours that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. But there is limited knowledge on the relation between health literacy (HL) and diabetes risk, and whether improving HL could be a potential prevention strategy. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to examine the link between HL and diabetes risk among non-diabetic adults. Methods We used data from the Hamburg Diabetes Prevention Survey, a population-based cross-sectional study in Germany. One thousand, two hundred and fifty-five non-diabetic subjects aged 18–60 years were eligible. The German Diabetes Risk Score (GDRS, ranging 0 to 123 points) was used to determine the individual risk of type 2 diabetes. The short version of the European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16, ranging 0 to 16 points) was applied to assess the individual self-reported HL. Subjects were asked to self-estimate their diabetes risk, which was then compared with the calculated GDRS. Descriptive statistics were calculated to investigate group differences in the GDRS and self-estimated diabetes risk. Linear as well as logistic regression models were performed to analyse potential influencing variables of the GDRS as well as incorrect self-estimated diabetes risk. In three nested statistical models for each outcome, these analyses were adjusted for age, gender, educational level and the presence of chronic conditions. Results According to the criteria of the GDRS, 996 (79.4%) subjects showed “low risk”, 176 (14.0%) “still low risk”, 53 (4.2%) “elevated risk”, and 30 (2.4%) “high to very high risk” to develop type 2 diabetes within the next 5 years. In the statistical models including all control variables, subjects with “inadequate HL” scored 2.38 points higher on the GDRS (95% CI 0.378 to 4.336; P = 0.020) and had a 2.04 greater chance to estimate their diabetes risk incorrectly (OR 2.04; 95% CI 1.33 to 3.14; P = 0.001) compared to those with “sufficient HL”. Conclusion The risk of type 2 diabetes is increased in people with inadequate self-reported HL. People with high diabetes risk and inadequate HL might be provided with educational programs to improve diabetes knowledge and reduce behavioural risk factors.

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Communicative health literacy in patients with non-communicable diseases in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Tropical Medicine and Health ◽

10.1186/s41182-021-00345-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Desalew Tilahun ◽

Abebe Abera ◽

Gugsa Nemera

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Communicable Diseases ◽

Source Population ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Non Communicable Diseases ◽

Health Literacy Level ◽

Literacy Level

Abstract Background Health literacy plays a prominent role in empowering individuals for prevention as well as management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, there is paucity of information on the health literacy of patients with non-communicable diseases in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess communicative health literacy and associated factors in patients with NCDs on follow-up at Jimma Medical Center (JMC), Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from 4 May 2020 to 4 July 2020 with 408 randomly selected adult patients, attending outpatient department of JMC in Ethiopia. The final sample size was obtained by using single population proportion formula. All patients with NCDs who were on follow-up at chronic illness clinic, JMC, were used as a source population. All eligible patients with NCDs who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in this study. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit study participants. Data were collected through structured interviewer administered questionnaires on the six of nine health literacy domains using Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) containing 30 items, socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, disease-related factors, and health information sources. Multivariable logistic regression was executed to determine the associations. Result Descriptive analysis shows more than half of the respondents in four of the six health literacy domains had high communicative health literacy level (CHLL). The proportion of people with high CHLL across each of the domains was as follows: health care provider support (56.1%), social support for health (53.7%), active engagement with a healthcare provider (56.1%), and navigating healthcare system (53.4%). We found educational status was significantly associated with five of six health literacy domains whereas number of sources was associated with four of six health literacy domains. Conclusion The overall findings of the current study indicate that health literacy levels vary according to socio-demographic and disease characteristics of patients. Thus, healthcare professionals should assess patients’ health literacy level and tailor information and support to the health literacy skills and personal context of their patients.

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Dissociation, Cognitive Reflection and Health Literacy Have a Modest Effect on Belief in Conspiracy Theories about COVID-19

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105065 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5065

Author(s):

Vojtech Pisl ◽

Jan Volavka ◽

Edita Chvojkova ◽

Katerina Cechova ◽

Gabriela Kavalirova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Digital Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Conspiracy Theories ◽

Cognitive Reflection ◽

Variance Explained ◽

Modest Effect

Understanding the predictors of belief in COVID-related conspiracy theories and willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid the resolution of current and future pandemics. We investigate how psychological and cognitive characteristics influence general conspiracy mentality and COVID-related conspiracy theories. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on data from an online survey of a sample of Czech university students (n = 866) collected in January 2021, using multivariate linear regression and mediation analysis. Sixteen percent of respondents believed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and 17% believed that COVID-19 was intentionally created by humans. Seven percent of the variance of the hoax theory and 10% of the variance of the creation theory was explained by (in descending order of relevance) low cognitive reflection, low digital health literacy, high experience with dissociation and, to some extent, high bullshit receptivity. Belief in COVID-related conspiracy theories depended less on psychological and cognitive variables compared to conspiracy mentality (16% of the variance explained). The effect of digital health literacy on belief in COVID-related theories was moderated by cognitive reflection. Belief in conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 was influenced by experience with dissociation, cognitive reflection, digital health literacy and bullshit receptivity.

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