Health literacy of adolescents in the COVID-19 pandemic: an integrative review

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the scientific production on health literacy (HL) of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: an integrative review, in the MEDLINE, LILACS, CINAHL and Web of Science databases, between March 2020 and August 2021. Original articles in English, Spanish and Portuguese were included. Results: of the 65 studies found in the search, eight were included for analysis, with no publication in Brazil, with five publications in 2021, predominantly in English (n=7) and all classified with level of evidence VI. Of the instruments used, eHealth literacy was the most applied instrument (n=2). Television, family and the internet were identified as the main sources of health information during the pandemic. Final considerations: the literature has indicated that HL can interfere with adolescents’ decision making and that a low HL can lead to decisions and physical and mental exposure actions of adolescents.

Health literacy of Brazilian undergraduate students: a cluster analysis

“…19,29 This result may be because the majority of the sample was made up of young adults (average age = 25.2 years), who nd it very easy to access and acquire health information from websites, often not identifying the need and importance of consulting a health professional to answer their questions or even to con rm this information. 35 Another point may be related to the di culties encountered by many patients in establishing good interaction and communication with the health professionals who attend to them, a skill recognized in the literature as one of the main pillars of HL, which directly in uences this relationship and the patient's loyalty to the health professional. 36 The ability to take responsibility for one's health, to be proactively involved in one's care, and to make one's own decisions about one's health, along with the ability to understand written/numerical information about one's health and to write appropriately on forms when necessary, were skills that stood out positively in this sample.…”