Health literacy assessment of Vidzeme statistical region

Abstract

Data on Health Literacy in the population of Latvia is limited. The aim of the study was to determine the Health Literacy impacting factors of inhabitants of Vidzeme Statistical region in Latvia (LV008). Respondent survey (n = 383), using a paper-and-pencil self-administered approach and telephone interviews, was conducted based the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47). In order to ensure internal consistency and reliability, the authors used Cronbach’s α test (α = 0.965). The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) allowed to determine that factor results differentiate between genders and there is a strong positive correlation (r = 0.945), that impacts results. Factors Access, Appraise and Apply explained each 30 % of the variance, and factors Understand explained 31 %. HL index division by gender indicated that 47.4 % of female respondents and 46.6 % of male respondents have “limited health literacy” (“inadequate” + “problematic”). The largest age group among respondents are 18-39-year old where there is lower level of education and lower income. However, cases have been observed when respondents even with higher education have “limited health literacy,” which indicates towards a need for further HL research in Latvia, because compared to HL of other member states, LV008 HL index is by 38.9 % larger than the EU average (47.6 %).