Health literacy – The solid facts

Ilona Kickbusch, Jürgen M. Pelikan, Franklin Apfel and Agis D. Tsouros
The Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization
Published online: Jun 2013

Abstract / Resumen: “…..As societies grow more complex and people are increasingly bombarded with health information and misinformation, health literacy becomes essential. People with strong health literacy skills enjoy better health and well-being, while those with weaker skills tend to engage in riskier behavior and have poorer health. With evidence from the recent European Health Literacy Survey, this report identifies practical and effective ways public health and other sector authorities and advocates can strengthen health literacy in a variety of settings, including educational settings, workplaces, marketplaces, health systems, new and traditional media and political arenas. The report can be used as a tool for spreading awareness, stimulating debate and research and, above all, for informing policy development and action….”
Content:
Making the case for investing in strengthening health literacy
1 European Health Literacy Survey
2 Health literacy – a key determinant of health 7
Example: noncommunicable diseases
3 Limited health literacy – an underestimated problem and equity challenge
Example: migrants and minorities
4 Health literacy builds resilience among individuals and communities
Example: Netherlands Alliance for Health Literacy
Taking action to create and strengthen health literacy–friendly settings
5 Attributes of health-literate settings
6 Health literacy is a key attribute of a healthy city
7 Attributes of health literacy–friendly organizations
8 Educational settings
9 Marketplace and community settings
10 Workplace settings
11 Health care settings
Example: adherence to medication
Example: programmes for self-managing chronic disease
12 Media and communication
13 Social media and mobile health
1.Developing policies for health literacy at the local, national and European Region levels

Keywords / Palabras clave: health information;  health literacy; well-being; Survey; public health;

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