Health Literacy in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study

This study aimed to test the validity of the Mandarin version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q) for use in the general public in Taiwan. Multistage stratification random sampling resulted in a sample of 2989 people aged 15 years and above. The HLS-EU-Q was validated by confirmatory factor analysis with excellent model data fit indices. The general HL of the Taiwanese population was 34.4 ± 6.6 on a scale of 50. Multivariate regression analysis showed that higher general HL is significantly associated with the higher ability to pay for medication, higher self-perceived social status, higher frequency of watching health-related TV, and community involvement but associated with younger age. HL is also associated with health status, health behaviors, and health care accessibility and use. The HLS-EU-Q was found to be a useful tool to assess HL and its associated factors in the general population.

Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - November 4, 2015 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Duong, V. T., Lin, I.-F., Sorensen, K., Pelikan, J. M., Van Den Broucke, S., Lin, Y.-C., Chang, P. W. Tags: Articles Source Type: research