Is Vaccine Uptake Related to Health Literacy? A Representative Survey in the Multilingual Region of South Tyrol, Italy.

Abstract

Background/objectives: Vaccination rates in South Tyrol, Northern Italy, remain among the lowest in the country. This study investigated whether health literacy is associated with vaccine uptake in this multilingual region.

Methods: A representative cross-sectional survey (n = 2090) was conducted using the validated European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) to assess health literacy. Vaccine uptake was evaluated on a 4-point Likert scale and analysed by age group (18-54 years; ≥55 years). Associations were explored using ANCOVA and multivariate logistic regression models.

Results: Among younger adults (18-54 years), higher health literacy was significantly associated with greater vaccine uptake, particularly when compared with individuals with missing health literacy data. Health literacy was not a significant predictor for vaccine uptake in the older age group (≥55 years). Instead, vaccine uptake correlated with trust in healthcare providers, the presence of chronic diseases, and educational level. Differences in health literacy were notable across language groups, but these did not interact with vaccination behaviour.

Conclusions: Building trust and targeting individuals with lower educational attainment are key strategies for improving vaccination rates across language groups. Although health literacy plays a secondary role, efforts to enhance it, especially among the German-speaking population, are still warranted. Younger individuals with missing health literacy scores, often with a migration background and low trust in healthcare, should be prioritised in vaccination and health literacy campaigns.