The International Report on the Methodology, Results, and Recommendations of the European Health Literacy Population Survey 2019-2021 (HLS19) of M-POHL was released on 15 December 2021.
It presents results for 17 WHO-European countries. A total of 42,445 interviews were included in the study. Results for General health literacy (HL), its determinants and consequences, as well as for four specific aspects of health literacy are shown: Navigational HL, Communicative HL with physicians, Digital HL, Vaccination HL, and HL and for health-related quality of life as a mediator for health costs. The HLS19 instruments, which were developed as part of the project, were validated and their psychometric properties are presented. For each type of HL the most difficult tasks and disadvantaged vulnerable subpopulations were identified. A social gradient was demonstrated for all countries, albeit differing in degree across countries. Summing up, the results demonstrate the relevance of General and specific HLs for a considerable proportion of adult residents with low HLs, a social gradient for HLs, and significant potential effects of HLs on health-relevant indicators. Based on the HLS19 results recommendations for policy, practice and research were developed and consented for national and European health policy.