Background Health literacy comprises the ability to identify, obtain, interpret and act upon health information. Low health literacy is a major risk factor for hospitalizations, use of emergency care and premature mortality among others. Known risk factors for low health literacy such as lower educational attainment, migration history and chronic illnesses overlap with those for long-term unemployment – in itself a risk factor for low health literacy. These factors are difficult to address in interventions to support health literacy. Therefore, the objective of this review is to identify potentially modifiable predictors of HL in populations potentially affected by long-term unemployment. Methods A rapid review (PROSPERO registration number: 290873) was carried out in Pubmed and SCOPUS including quantitative studies on potentially modifiable predictors of health literacy in working-age populations following PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews. Where possible, reported effect sizes were transformed into r, and random-effects meta-analyses were conducted where appropriate to pool effect sizes for the association between modifiable predictors and health literacy. Results In total, 4765 titles and abstracts were screened, 114 articles were assessed in full-text screening, and 54 were included in the review. Forty-one effect sizes were considered for 9 different meta-analyses. Higher language proficiency, higher frequency of internet use, using the internet as a source of health information more often, being more physically active, more oral health behaviours, watching more health-related TV and a good health status were significantly associated with higher health literacy. Significant heterogeneity suggests between-study differences. Conclusions Improving language proficiency and/or providing information in multiple and simplified languages, together with reliable and accessible health information on the internet and in linear media are potentially promising targets to improve health literacy levels in working-age populations.

BackgroundUnemployed persons are at high risk for low health literacy. Most studies addressing health literacy of unemployed persons focus on risk factors for low health literacy or correlates of health literacy, but studies on needs of unemployed persons regarding health literacy are scarce. We aimed to obtain better understanding of health literacy needs of unemployed adults by triangulating the results from a scoping review on health literacy needs in unemployed adults and additional in-depth qualitative interviews.MethodsScoping review: We searched six databases up to January 2021 as well as gray literature for relevant studies following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened independently by two researchers. Qualitative study: Ten participants of a job-reintegration program in Germany were interviewed following a guideline covering topics including health issues of interest to the participants, their sources of health-related information and the barriers/facilitators they experience when accessing health services.ResultsScoping review: After screening 2,966 titles and abstracts, 36 full texts were considered, and five articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Four focused on mental health literacy and outcomes, while the fifth assessed information-seeking practices. One additional report on health literacy was identified via the gray literature search. Awareness of one's condition was identified as a facilitator for mental health help-seeking, while fear of harmful effects of medication prevented help-seeking. Qualitative study: Participants were interested in and were generally well-informed about health topics such as nutrition and physical activity. The main challenge perceived was translating the knowledge into practice in daily life. GPs and the social services providers played an important role as a source of health information and advice. Regarding mental health, similar barriers, facilitators and needs were identified through triangulation of findings of the scoping review with those of the interviews.ConclusionsThere is need to address health literacy needs of long-term unemployed persons that go beyond mental health literacy. Public health interventions should not only aim at improving health literacy scores, but also focus on how to help participants translate health literacy into practice. Population groups of interest should also be involved in all processes of designing interventions.

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Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Der plötzliche Kindstod (SIDS, „sudden infant death syndrome“) ist dank vieler Präventionsmaßnahmen heute deutlich seltener als noch vor ca. 30 Jahren. Wir führten einen schnellen systematischen Review zu effektiven Interventionsmaßnahmen durch und evaluierten ein mehrjähriges Präventionsprojekt in Hamm. Methodik Für den Review wurde eine systematische Recherche in der Datenbank PubMed durchgeführt. Eingeschlossen wurden alle ab 2004 (auf Deutsch oder Englisch) veröffentlichten Ergebnisberichte von Interventionen zur SIDS-Prävention (n = 17 Artikel). Für die Evaluationsstudie wurden im Praxisbetrieb erhobene Befragungsdaten von Eltern Neugeborener der Jahre 2011–2018 ausgewertet. Direkt nach der Geburt und ca. 3 Monate später wurden die Eltern mündlich und schriftlich über SIDS-Präventionsmaßnahmen aufgeklärt und zur geplanten und umgesetzten Schlafsituation befragt. Die Ergebnisse wurden deskriptiv ausgewertet. Ergebnisse Ergebnisse des Reviews bestätigen die gute Umsetzbarkeit der Rückenlage als Schlafposition. Weniger häufig werden der Literatur zufolge Verhaltensempfehlungen zur Schlafumgebung des Säuglings und zum Rauchverhalten im Haushalt umgesetzt. Beim Projekt SIDS Hamm wurde eine empfohlene Schlafumgebung bei 46 % und die Rückenlage bei 90 % der Säuglinge angegeben. Empfehlungen zur Schlafposition (Odds Ratio [OR]: 1,33; 95 %-Konfidenzintervall [KI]: 1,03–1,72) und zur Schlafumgebung (OR: 1,42; KI: 1,16–1,74) wurden eher eingehalten, wenn eine ärztliche SIDS-Aufklärung erfolgte. Diskussion In der internationalen Literatur werden Defizite bei Umsetzung der empfohlenen Schlafumgebung und beim Rauchverhalten in der SIDS-Prävention beschrieben. Das Präventionsprojekt in Hamm konnte durch unterschiedliche Ansätze der Wissensvermittlung dazu beitragen, dass viele Eltern SIDS-präventive Maßnahmen umsetzten und so das Risiko des plötzlichen Kindstods weiter verringern.