Kontakt, 2018 (vol. 20), issue 4

Measuring the factors affecting health literacy in East Hungary - Health literacy in the adult population of Nyíregyháza citySocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Renáta J. Erdei, Anita Barth, Anita R. Fedor, Péter Takács

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e375-e380 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.08.007  

As a critical determinant of health at a population level, knowing health literacy is essential for effective health promotion and for the positive influence on health status. However, very little research hasfocused on this topic in Hungary. We aimed to measure health literacy and find the factors affecting it among the adult population in Nyíregyháza city. The results contribute to improving health literacy, thus improving health behaviour, which is needed to develop individual and community strategies.Our study was carried out in the framework of the "Quality of life of Nyiregyháza - Household Panel" research, by using two health literacy...

Acknowledgement of ReviewersVaria

Editorial board

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e432 | DOI: 10.1016/S1212-4117(18)30073-4

Editorial BoardVaria

Editorial board

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):i | DOI: 10.1016/S1212-4117(18)30072-2  

Internet - The threat or hope of Czech health literacy?Social Sciences in Health - Original article

Ondřej Pleskot, Jitka Rusová

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e424-e431 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.001  

Although more and more people are searching for health information online, internet users often do not consult the information obtained with their doctor. In particular, users with low health literacy do not consider the quality of the information they receive, which poses considerable risks to their health. The aim of the online survey was to find out where internet users look for answers to health issues first, whether they are looking for help with an acute or chronic illness, or whether they are educating themselves on health issues. The follow-up survey focused on the quality of health information available on the Internet.An online survey...

Health literacy in people with intellectual disabilities: A mixed-method literature reviewSocial Sciences in Health - Review article

Cornelia Geukes, Dirk Bruland, Änne-Dörte Latteck

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e416-e423 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.008  

People with intellectual disabilities are exposed to particular challenges within the healthcare system. In particular, elderly people with intellectual disabilities have special needs and require physical activity to prevent age-related diseases. Health Literacy could help people with intellectual disabilities to take participative health-related decisions. To be able to generate knowledge in this area, a literature search was carried out. For this the databases PubMed, Scopus, ERIC, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched. The research shows a research gap in the field of health literacy among people with intellectual disabilities. Nevertheless,...

From the first surveys to an action plan - Examining health literacy in GermanySocial Sciences in Health - Review article

Lukáš Janura

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e408-e415 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.004  

This study deals with research on health literacy undertaken in Germany in recent years. A proper debate started after the results of the EU Health Literacy Survey had been published. The debate in Germany is influenced by American authors, but with a focus on the specific abilities of the patients and features of health literacy.Studies based on the EU Health Literacy Survey focus on the most threatened groups of citizens and create recommendations in this regard. There are some results which indicate that a more complex approach supporting general knowledge might be more efficient. Nevertheless, the approach which builds on a deep focus on...

Individuals' health literacy level and their knowledge and practices with respect to rational drug useSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Cemile Kütmeç Yilmaz, Arife Kil

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e401-e407 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.08.001  

This descriptive study aimed to identify individuals' health literacy level and their knowledge and practices with respect to rational drug use. The study was conducted with 405 individuals aged 18 and above who applied to a hospital. Data were collected by using an introductory information form and the Adult Health Literacy Scale (AHLS). Data were analyzed by using the Mann-Whitney U test for comparing two groups and the Kruskal-Wallis H test for comparing the mean total scale scores of more than two groups. We found that participants' average age was 34.25 ± 14.8; 55.5% of them were female; 50.5% had university education or higher; 51% were...

Health literacy in people undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse - A pilot studySocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Gabriela Rolová, Miroslav Barták, Vladimír Rogalewicz, Beáta Gavurová

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e394-e400 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.09.003  

The evidence suggests that limited health literacy (HL) may be associated with health risk behaviour such as smoking, alcohol drinking, or substance use. The aim of this study was to examine the level of HL in people undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse and to determine the most problematic domain of HL. The cross-sectional survey included 113 participants from two facilities in Prague (Department of Addictology and Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital). HL was measured using the HLS-EU-Q questionnaire developed by the European Health Literacy Consortium. The mean general health literacy (GHL) score of the sample was 34.1, indicating a sufficient level of...

Health literacy of undergraduate health profession students in Australia: A comparison of the island state of Tasmania and other Australian universitiesSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Carey Mather, Tracy Douglas, Angela Jacques

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e386-e393 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.08.008  

The aim was to explore the health literacy of undergraduate health profession students enrolled at the only university based on the Island of Tasmania and compare this with students enrolled at other universities on the main island of Australia. The data was collected as a part of a larger international survey of tertiary health profession students. Capture of baseline evidence about levels of health literacy was to provide direction for how and when to incorporate core and specialised health literacy content into the health profession curriculum to promote work-readiness.This study was a cross-sectional descriptive online survey using a previously...

Health literacy levels of the workers in a steel factory: A cross sectional study in TurkeySocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Candan Kendir, Tugba Caliskan, Gamze Akyol, Gulin Boztas Demir, Mehtap Kartal

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e381-e385 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.09.004  

Health literacy is important as it shows the degree to which a person understands and interprets medical information and makes the appropriate health decision. The workers of steel factories are often faced with health information and issues in their work place related to personal protection, occupational hazards and occupational injuries. Therefore, it is important to demonstrate the health literacy of the workers to ensure health literacy responsive work places. This paper aims to show the health literacy level of the steel factory male workers in Turkey.In this study, in order to measure the health literacy level of men, REALM and NVS scales...

Health literacy in selected population groupsEditorial

Sylva Bártlová

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e317-e318 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.012  

The social dimension of health literacy in relation to cancerSocial Sciences in Health - Review article

Lucia Tóthová

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e370-e374 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.010  

This paper analyses the concept of health literacy. Its importance is growing due to the complexity of the patient care system, especially in the field of oncological disease. A certain level of health literacy is essential to understanding health information and services for patients. Oncology social work is not established in the conditions of Slovakia. Nevertheless, in the context of a holistic approach, the problem of oncological disease also begins to be perceived in the social dimension. Social worker services abroad become an inseparable segment of care for patients with an oncological diagnosis. In the author's opinion, health literacy should...

The level of health literacy of students at medical facultiesSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Gabriela Štefková, Eva Čepová, Peter Kolarčik, Andrea Madarasová Gecková

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e363-e369 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.011  

Introduction: Health literacy (HL) is a key concept for interventions that aim at improving the health of individuals and populations, but it is also a way to improve the health care system, especially in the field of interaction between healthcare providers and patients. The aim of the study was to determine the level of health literacy among students of medical faculties.Methods: A cross-sectional study was realized at three faculties of medicine in the academic year 2015/2016. In the study there were 390 students of medicine (male 41.5%, Slovak students 50.1%) with an average age of 23 (SD = 3). We administered the health literacy questionnaire...

Research on the health literacy of professionals working in early childhood educationSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Melinda Csima, Judit Fináncz, Ágnes Nyitrai, Judit Podráczky

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e356-e362 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.002  

The aim of the research is to map the health literacy of Hungarian early childhood educators through the exploration of the characteristics of their health condition and health behaviour. Early childhood educators, kindergarten teachers, teaching assistants and nurses were involved in our quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive research (N = 1010). The data obtained by using a measuring tool containing standardised questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test and variance analysis (ANOVA; p < 0.05). Based on our findings we can state that - compared to the Hungarian population as a whole - the examined population...

Does attachment to parents and peers influence health literacy among adolescents in Malaysia?Social Sciences in Health - Original article

Siti Raba'ah Hamzah, Maimunah Ismail, Zanariah Mohd Nor

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e348-e355 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.006  

Despite extensive research on the impact of social factors on the health literacy of adolescents, few studies have investigated how attachment to parents and peers influences adolescents' level of health literacy. Adolescence is generally viewed as the period of life before adulthood, and during this phase, young persons are dependent on the support of their parents and peers. This study was conducted in response to the gap in the research regarding the influence of parental and peer attachment on the health literacy of adolescents. The participants in this study comprised a random sample of adolescents aged 15 to 17 years, who were residents of the...

Chronic pain health literacy: A scoping review of existing instrumentsNursing - Review article

Petra Mandysová, Iryna Matějková, Josef Fusek

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e340-e347 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.005  

Aim: Patient self-management is considered one of the preconditions for successful control of chronic conditions (including chronic pain), and health literacy is a relevant factor that can affect patient outcomes. The aim was to conduct a scoping review to synthesize studies within the healthcare context that have dealt with chronic pain in adults and measured literacy, and also to explore what literacy instruments were used.Methods: After determining clear inclusion and exclusion criteria, 8 electronic databases were searched for relevant articles; additional articles were obtained through reference lists of the obtained articles. Of the 56...

Health literacy of mothers in the first year of motherhood - Expert interpretation mapNursing - Original article

Kateřina Ivanová, Ivana Olecká, Barbora Vencová, Lubica Juríčková

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e333-e339 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.003  

For human health, childhood has an essential function, thus it is necessary that children live in convenient and safe conditions. One of these is the level of health literacy of their mothers. The aim of the research was to specify (and supplement) the content of health literacy of mothers in the first year of motherhood with experts' experience and opinions. Research sample and methods: The data were collected in non-structured interviews with experts (n = 12) from the fields of medicine, nursing, social work, education, sociology and andragogy. The data were analysed and described based on thematic interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)....

Health literacy of children and adolescentsNursing - Review article

Alena Machová, Iva Brabcová

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e326-e332 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.007  

Health literacy is a person's ability to search for relevant sources regarding health, understand the information, and use it adequately to improve their behaviour in order to support their own health. The goal of this article is to analyze academic publications which are focused on the assessment of the health literacy of children and adolescents. We used the method of content analysis. The sources were searched for in the databases EBSCO, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science and Willey between April and May 2018. Based on the analysis of the sources, it is possible to say that most of the studies were carried out outside of Europe. Aside...

Relationships among interventions and health literacy outcomes for sub-populations: A data-driven approachNursing - Original article

Martin Michalowski, Robin R. Austin, Michelle A. Mathiason, Sasank Maganti, Erica Schorr, Karen A. Monsen

Kontakt 2018, 20(4):e319-e325 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.009  

Objectives: The goals of this study were to examine relationships among health literacy and outcomes for sub-populations identified within a large, multi-dimensional Omaha System dataset. Specific aims were to extract sub-populations from the data using Latent Class Analysis (LCA); and quantify the change in knowledge score from pre- to post-intervention for common sub-populations.Design: Data-driven retrospective study using statistical modeling methods.Sample: A set of admission and discharge cases, captured in the Omaha System, representing 65,468 cases from various health care providers.Measures: Demographic information and the...