Adolescent Health Literacy and Neighbourhood Features: HBSC Findings from Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia

Abstract

The role of supportive environments on health, wellbeing, and longevity has been widely recognized. However, there is no strong empirical evidence on the association between health literacy (HL) as a particular health-related competence and neighbourhoods. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the association between the features of neighbourhoods and the level of HL competencies of young people from three countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia). Self-reported data from an international sample of 11,521 students aged 13–15 years participating in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (HBSC) in the year 2018 were included in the analyses. The level of HL shows a strong positive relationship with family wealth, and a significant relationship is maintained in all studied countries. Both social and structural features of neighbourhoods turned out to have an impact on students’ HL. However, HL is most clearly explained by the school environment. This study confirms the school effect on higher levels of HL competences in adolescents. This indicates the need to invest in schools located in less affluent areas to generally improve the level of education, implement modern health education combined with HL, and strengthen the social and health competencies of students.

Who Is Able to Resist What Is Forbidden?—The Relationship between Health Literacy and Risk Behaviours in Secondary School Students in the Broader Social and Educational Context

“…The strong positive correlation between HL and both family affluence and the social and structural aspects of the environment in which school-aged children grow up was confirmed by the authors of this article in previous studies [ 21 ] that covered 11,521 students aged 13–15 in three Central and Eastern European countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland). This correlation was also shown in Lithuanian research, in which it was demonstrated that the factor with the greatest impact on raising HL levels in young people is school [ 22 ].…”

First Systematic Review on Health Communication Using the CiteSpace Software in China: Exploring Its Research Hotspots and Frontiers

“…Clearly, HC is a complex research issue that is deeply connected to a variety of different disciplines. In addition, the analysis of previous studies illustrated that HC research worldwide has focused on several themes, mainly including the doctor–patient relationship [ 12 ], HIV prevention and control [ 15 , 16 ], media interferences [ 13 , 14 ], the effect of HC [ 17 ], the environment of HC [ 18 ], health promotion, health education and health literacy [ 19 , 20 , 21 ], and special topics (e.g., euthanasia [ 22 ] and homosexuality [ 23 ]).…”

Subjective health literacy among Polish adolescents in 2018 vs 2022 – impact of gender, age, and socio-economic factors during COVID-19

“…A notable finding was the nearly twofold increase in the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) during the study periods, highlighting the extent to which the HLSAC-5 index variability depended on school-specific characteristics. Earlier studies employing the ICC noted more significant diversity in Polish schools compared to those in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, both in terms of health literacy (HL) levels and family wealth [35]. This suggests that it may be a distinctive feature of Poland that variations that in social backgrounds at the school level are more pronounced.…”