The psychology of Health Literacy
(2019) 7th AHLA International Congress on Health Literacy — Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (10.November.2019)
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- Abstract
- Health literacy (HL) is recognized as a concept of critical importance to health care and public health. Its importance is supported by an ever-increasing number of studies showing that a low level of HL is related to a less adequate use of healthcare services and emergency care, poorer medication adherence, poorer self-care management, lower use of preventive services, a lower frequency of health promoting behaviors, a poorer overall health status, and higher mortality rates. As a major determinant of a person’s health, HL is also a factor that contributes to health inequalities. However, the causal pathways that link low HL to these consequences has been less well studied. Although some underlying psychological mechanisms and processes by which low HL may lead to poorer health behavior and outcomes have been suggested, very little empirical research exists to date to support these mechanisms. Only a handful of studies have directly investigated the mediating effects of social cognitive variables on the relationship between HL and health behaviors and outcomes, most of them focusing on a single mediator such as self-efficacy. In this presentation, the indirect evidence for the mediating role of social cognitive variables on the relationship between HL and health behaviors and outcomes will be discussed. On the one hand, we will consider psychological factors that are associated with health behaviors related to medication adherence, early detection through screening, primary prevention and health promotion, as represented in well-researched and validated social cognition models. On the other hand, we will review the limited evidence suggesting that fatalism, low perceived susceptibility to diseases like cancer, and low self-efficacy may be more prevalent among individuals with low HL. Some research also suggests that individuals with low HL tend to rely more on relatives and friends for health information, whereas individuals with higher HL rely on a wider variety of information sources. Thus, while there is very little direct evidence for a mediation role of HL, there is indirect support for the hypothesis that psychological factors related to social cognitive models used in health psychology mediate the relationship between low HL and health behaviors and outcomes. The presentation will end with some suggestions for further research into the mediating role of psychological processes in explaining the linkage between health literacy and health outcomes.
- Affiliations
Citations
Van den Broucke, S. (2019). The psychology of Health Literacy. 7th AHLA International Congress on Health Literacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/123901