Background Health literacy concerns the ability of citizens to meet the complex demands of health in modern society. Data on the distribution of health literacy in general populations and how health literacy impacts health behavior and general health remains scarce. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of health literacy levels and associations of health literacy with socioeconomic position, health risk behavior, and health status at a population level. Methods A nationwide cross-sectional survey linked to administrative registry data was applied to a randomly selected sample of 15,728 Danish individuals aged ≥25 years. By the short form HLS-EU-Q16 health literacy was measured for the domains of healthcare, disease prevention, and health promotion. Adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to estimate associations of health literacy with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health risk behavior (physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, body weight), and health status (sickness benefits, self-assessed health). Results Overall, 9007 (57.3%) individuals responded to the survey. Nearly 4 in 10 respondents faced difficulties in accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying health information. Notably, 8.18% presented with inadequate health literacy and 30.94% with problematic health literacy. Adjusted for potential confounders, regression analyses showed that males, younger individuals, immigrants, individuals with basic education or income below the national average, and individuals receiving social benefits had substantially higher odds of inadequate health literacy. Among health behavior factors (smoking, high alcohol consumption, and inactivity), only physical behavior [sedentary: OR: 2.31 (95% CI: 1.81; 2.95)] was associated with inadequate health literacy in the adjusted models. The long-term health risk indicator body-weight showed that individuals with obesity [OR: 1.78 (95% CI: 1.39; 2.28)] had significantly higher odds of lower health literacy scores. Poor self-assessed health [OR: 4.03 (95% CI: 3.26; 5.00)] and payments of sickness absence compensation benefits [OR: 1.74 (95% CI: 1.35; 2.23)] were associated with lower health literacy scores. Conclusions Despite a relatively highly educated population, the prevalence of inadequate health literacy is high. Inadequate health literacy is strongly associated with a low socioeconomic position, poor health status, inactivity, and overweight, but to a lesser extent with health behavior factors such as smoking and high alcohol consumption.

Health literacy has been identified as an important and changeable intermediary determinant of health equity. Vocational education and training (VET) schools are a relevant setting for health behavior interventions seeking to diminish health inequities because many VET students come from low socio-economic status backgrounds. This study examines VET students’ health literacy and its association with health behavior based on a cross-sectional survey among 6119 students from 58 VET schools in Denmark in 2019. Two scales from the Health Literacy Questionnaire was used to assess domains of health literacy. Data were analyzed using Anova and logistic regression. The study population consisted of 43.4% female, and mean age was 24.2 years (range 15.8–64.0). The health literacy domain ‘Actively managing my health’ mean was 2.51, SD 0.66, and ‘Appraisal of health information’ mean was 2.37, SD 0.65. For both domains, being female, older age, attending the VET educational program Care-health-pedagogy, and higher self-rated health were associated with higher scale scores. In the adjusted analyses, lower scale scores were associated with less frequent breakfast, daily smoking, high-risk alcohol behavior and moderate-to-low physical activity. Our results show that low health literacy is associated with unhealthy behaviors in this population. Our results support and inform health literacy research and practice in educational institutions and services.

Background: Cardiac tele-rehabilitation is defined as using information and communication technology to support rehabilitation services. However, it requires a high level of patient activation and health literacy; this has not yet been explored. Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient activation and health literacy in tele-rehabilitation compared to hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation. Methods: We conducted a pilot study in patients with ischaemic or heart valve disease. In a non-randomised design, 24 patients attended a 12-week tele-rehabilitation programme, and 53 matched controls a 12-week hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation programme. The primary outcome was patient activation, which was assessed using the Patient Activation Measure before the intervention, at the end of the intervention and at follow-up six months after the intervention. The secondary outcome was health literacy, assessed using three dimensions from the Health Literacy Questionnaire before rehabilitation and at six-month follow-up: actively manage my health (HLQ3), ability to engage with healthcare providers (HLQ6) and understanding health information (HLQ9). Results: Patient activation improved similarly in tele-rehabilitation and hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation at all time points. Six months after the intervention, patients in tele-rehabilitation significantly improved on the dimension HLQ6 compared to patients in hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation. No significant between-group differences were found in HLQ3 or HLQ9. Conclusion: Tele-rehabilitation and hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation seemed to be equally successful in improving patient activation and health literacy. Tele-rehabilitation should be further tested in a randomised controlled trial, with a focus on whether patient levels of education and self-management at the initiation of rehabilitation are decisive factors for tele-rehabilitation participation.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk of future diabetes in both mother, father and offspring. More knowledge is needed about how to effectively reduce the risk of diabetes through sustained behavioural interventions in these families. The Face-it intervention is a complex health promotion intervention embedded in multi-level supportive environments. The aim of the intervention is to reduce type 2 diabetes risk and increase quality of life among families in the first year following a GDM-affected pregnancy by promoting physical activity, healthy dietary behaviours and breastfeeding through a focus on social support, motivation, self-efficacy, risk perception and health literacy.Methods: This national multicentre study is a two-arm randomised controlled trial including 460 women with GDM in a ratio of 2 (intervention):1 (usual care). The Face-it intervention consists of three main components: 1) additional visits from municipal health visitors, 2) digital health coaching tailored to family needs and 3) a structured crosssectoral communication system in the health care system. The intervention runs from 3 to 12 months after delivery. The primary outcome is maternal body mass index at 12 months after delivery as a proxy for diabetes risk. The women will be examined at baseline and at follow-up, and this examination will include blood tests, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), anthropometrics, blood pressure, self-reported diet and physical activity, breastfeeding, quality of life, health literacy, physical and mental health status, risk perception and social support. Aside from those data collected for OGTT and breastfeeding and offspring parameters, the same data will be collected for partners. Data on offspring anthropometry will also be collected. Information on pregnancy-and birthrelated outcomes will be derived from the medical records of the woman and child.

Systematic review registration: www.crd.york.ac.uk/ PROSPERO CRD42014013597.

For health services, improving organizational health literacy responsiveness is a promising approach to enhance health and counter health inequity. A number of frameworks and tools are available to help organizations boost their health literacy responsiveness. These include the Ophelia (OPtimising HEalth LIteracy and Access) approach centered on local needs assessments, co-design methodologies, and pragmatic intervention testing. Within a municipal cardiac rehabilitation (CR) setting, the Heart Skills Study aimed to: (1) Develop and test an organizational health literacy intervention using an extended version of the Ophelia approach, and (2) evaluate the organizational impact of the application of the Ophelia approach. We found the approach successful in producing feasible organizational quality improvement interventions that responded to local health literacy needs such as enhanced social support and individualized care. Furthermore, applying the Ophelia approach had a substantial organizational impact. The co-design process in the unit helped develop and integrate a new and holistic understanding of CR user needs and vulnerabilities based on health literacy. It also generated motivation and ownership among CR users, staff, and leaders, paving the way for sustainable future implementation. The findings can be used to inform the development and evaluation of sustainable co-designed health literacy initiatives in other settings.

Definitions of health literacy have evolved from notions of health-related literacy to a multidimensional concept that incorporates the importance of social and cultural knowledge, practices and contexts. This evolution is evident in the development of instruments that seek to measure health literacy in different ways. Health literacy measurement is important for global health because diverse stakeholders, including the WHO, use these data to inform health practice and policy, and to understand sources of inequity. In this Practice paper, we explore the potential for negative consequences, bias and epistemic injustice to occur when health literacy instruments are used across settings without due regard for the lived experiences of people in various contexts from whom data are collected. A health literacy measurement approach that is emic-sensitive, strengths based and solution oriented is needed to minimise biased data interpretation and use and to avoid epistemic injustice.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common mental health problems among new parents. Past studies have examined PPD in women; however, the condition is less understood in men. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of men or fathers with PPD and to understand the barriers and facilitators of help-seeking among fathers with PPD. Eight fathers with PPD were interviewed and data were subsequently analyzed through interpretative phenomenological analysis. The fathers perceived fatherhood as an overwhelming experience and feelings of inadequacy and powerlessness were two of the main themes in the fathers’ experiences of PPD. The feeling of inadequacy and powerlessness was related to the fathers’ expectations for themselves and their role as a father. The fathers’ sense of inadequacy and powerlessness sometimes turned into anger and frustrations. In addition, the fathers experienced a variety of contributing stressors around the birth of their child. Further, the analysis revealed how the fathers’ help-seeking behavior was influenced by five contributing factors: recognition and perception of depressive symptoms; knowledge and beliefs about PPD; taboo, stigma and conforming to masculine norms; the fathers’ partner; screening and perinatal healthcare services. Paternal PPD has a significant impact on the fathers’ wellbeing and everyday lives. Findings indicate that parents-to-be may benefit from education on paternal PDD, and they highlight the importance of screening for paternal PPD and support tailored to the needs of fathers with signs of PPD.