Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3935/rsp.v29i3.1954
Health literacy in Croatia
Ana Bobinac
orcid.org/0000-0001-8798-9795
; Centre for Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business, Rijeka, Croatia
Nikolina Dukić Samaržija
; Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Elizabeta Ribarić
orcid.org/0000-0001-5872-7139
; Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
Research shows that low levels of health literacy have negative consequences for the health of the individual and the community. The aim of the research is to establish the average level of health literacy in Croatia on a nationally representative sample and to identify characteristics that can be linked to particularly low levels of health literacy. The results show that the level of health literacy in Croatia, on average, is at the very border between problematic and adequate. Within the population, however, there are significant differences in the level of health literacy associated with the class, economic and social characteristics of individuals. Lower health literacy reflects in an individual's reluctance to respond to preventive screenings, keep weight below obesity levels, or exercise regularly. Our results suggest that raising the level of health literacy in Croatia should not rely primarily on media campaigns, because health information from the media is difficult for citizens to understand and use for the purpose of protection against diseases.
Keywords
health literacy; HLS-EU-16; public health
Hrčak ID:
294976
URI
Publication date:
31.1.2023.
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