This preprint is under consideration at BMC Public Health. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
A new preprint design is coming!
We have improved readability, clarity, accessibility, and opportunities for engagement.
Research article
Mette Jørgine Kirkeby
Aalborg Universitet
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3118-8347
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background: The complexity of demands regarding health literacy in present society requires knowledge and competences within health care, disease prevention, and health promotion in order to retain and obtain good health. Health literacy is mentioned in the literature to be part of the social determinants of health, however the mechanisms behind this association are still unclear. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of social support and living alone on health literacy.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on a randomly selected sample of 15,728 Danish citizens aged 25 or older. Information on health literacy, social support and living alone was gathered through a nationwide questionnaire during December 2016 and February 2017 and linked to administrative registry data. Multinomial regression was used to assess associations.
Results: Adequate health literacy was seen in 60.3% of the respondents and more men (59.5%) than women (40.5%) had inadequate health literacy. Lower social support was associated with higher inadequate health literacy levels and problematic health literacy among respondents with lower opportunity for practical help when being ill. Men, younger respondents, and respondents with lower educational attainment had higher risks of problematic and inadequate health literacy. No associations were found between living alone and health literacy.
Conclusions: The results from this study shed light on the mechanisms of social context and its relation to health literacy. But it also gives new insight to mechanisms behind the relationship between social support and health outcomes. We suggest that health literacy might be on the causal pathway between functional social support and health. We further recommend that future studies on social relationships and health should include measures of health literacy and multidimensional measures of social support.
Keywords
health literacy, social support, living alone, population survey, health literacy questionnaire
Figure 1
Loading...
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Revision
Version 1
Posted 08 May, 2020
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 08 Jul, 2020
Review #3 received
Received 01 Jul, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 29 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 05 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 03 Jun, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 22 May, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 15 May, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 15 May, 2020
Editor assigned
On 01 May, 2020
First submitted
On 30 Apr, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 30 Apr, 2020
Editor invited
On 30 Apr, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Learn more about our company.
A new preprint design is coming!
We have improved readability, clarity, accessibility, and opportunities for engagement.
This preprint is under consideration at BMC Public Health. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Mette Jørgine Kirkeby
Aalborg Universitet
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3118-8347
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Revision
Version 1
Posted 08 May, 2020
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 08 Jul, 2020
Review #3 received
Received 01 Jul, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 29 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 05 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 03 Jun, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 22 May, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 15 May, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 15 May, 2020
Editor assigned
On 01 May, 2020
First submitted
On 30 Apr, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 30 Apr, 2020
Editor invited
On 30 Apr, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background: The complexity of demands regarding health literacy in present society requires knowledge and competences within health care, disease prevention, and health promotion in order to retain and obtain good health. Health literacy is mentioned in the literature to be part of the social determinants of health, however the mechanisms behind this association are still unclear. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of social support and living alone on health literacy.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on a randomly selected sample of 15,728 Danish citizens aged 25 or older. Information on health literacy, social support and living alone was gathered through a nationwide questionnaire during December 2016 and February 2017 and linked to administrative registry data. Multinomial regression was used to assess associations.
Results: Adequate health literacy was seen in 60.3% of the respondents and more men (59.5%) than women (40.5%) had inadequate health literacy. Lower social support was associated with higher inadequate health literacy levels and problematic health literacy among respondents with lower opportunity for practical help when being ill. Men, younger respondents, and respondents with lower educational attainment had higher risks of problematic and inadequate health literacy. No associations were found between living alone and health literacy.
Conclusions: The results from this study shed light on the mechanisms of social context and its relation to health literacy. But it also gives new insight to mechanisms behind the relationship between social support and health outcomes. We suggest that health literacy might be on the causal pathway between functional social support and health. We further recommend that future studies on social relationships and health should include measures of health literacy and multidimensional measures of social support.
Figure 1
Loading...