Objective health literacy skills among ninth graders in Finland: outcomes from a national learning assessment

Abstract

Background: Health literacy (HL) is an important determinant for maintaining and improving health throughout the lifespan. This underlines the need to monitor HL, including among adolescents, and to understand the factors explaining HL, with a view to decreasing differences in HL. The aim of this study was to objectively measure HL, and the relationship between HL and socio-demographic factors (gender, language of instruction, pupils’ educational aspirations, parents’ educational background and pupils’ school achievement) among pupils ( n = 3652) at the end of basic education in Finland. Methods: A nationally representative assessment, which included 55 items on HL, was conducted as a traditional paper-and-pencil test in schools. The data were analysed via descriptive statistics and a two-level hierarchical linear model to determine how the socio-demographic factors affected HL. Results: The pupils’ average score on the HL test items was 58.9%, indicating a satisfactory HL level. A two-level hierarchical linear model showed that the variables (gender, language of instruction, pupils’ educational aspirations, parents’ educational background and pupils’ school achievement) predicting the HL level had statistically significant effects. Conclusions: Among ninth graders (15–16 years old), almost one third of the boys and 8% of the girls exhibited an unsatisfactory HL level. The study also confirmed the importance of school-related factors in explaining HL differences. Since low HL has been linked to several unfavourable health indicators and has been viewed as an underestimated problem in times of pandemic and other health crises, the findings suggest that the HL level of Finnish ninth graders is a clear public-health issue.

High School Students' Health Literacy Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

“…Female students have higher health literacy because they have stronger school motivation, higher verbal intelligence, greater awareness, or more vital self-discipline [28]. Women are more likely to perceive COVID-19 as a severe health problem, agree with restricting public policy actions, and comply with them.…”

Measuring Health Literacy in Basic Education in Finland: The Development of a Curriculum- and Performance-Based Measurement Instrument

“…In Finland, the outcomes of the assessment were applied in developing the current national curriculum. As an example, the test showed an insufficiency in adolescents’ critical thinking skills [ 42 ], which was taken into account by strengthening the role of critical thinking in HE as a school subject, and its goals for instruction and learning in the new national curriculum.…”

Hälsolitteracitet och dess samband med motions- och idrottsvanor och subjektiv hälsa bland finlandssvenska studerande på andra stadiet

“…En finsk studie visade att hälsolitteraciteten var högre bland män i gymnasier jämfört med män i yrkesskolor (30), vilket motsvarar resultat från studier gjorda i Taiwan (31,32). Skillnader har visat sig redan bland finländska ungdomar i 15års ålder så att ungdomar som ämnade fortsätta studera i gymnasium hade bättre hälsolitteracitet än de som planerade att studera i yrkesskola (22,(24)(25)(26)33). Studier tyder även på skillnader i hälsa och hälsovanor mellan gymnasie-och yrkesstuderande, men resultaten är inte enhetliga (34)(35)(36).…”

“…De respondenter som inte svarat på alla påståenden uteslöts (n=48). Summavariabeln indelades i tre klasser enligt Paakkaris och Paakkaris gränsvärden (22) (i) Låg hälsolitteracitet (antog värden mellan 10-25), (ii) Medelmåttig hälsolitteracitet (26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35) och (iii) Hög hälsolitteracitet (36)(37)(38)(39)(40). Ytterligare bildades en dikotom variabel där låg och medelmåttig hälsolitteracitet sammanslogs till en klass och hög hälsolitteracitet bildade en skild klass.…”

“…I vår studie hade kvinnorna högre hälsolitteracitet än männen. Finländska studier bland yngre ungdomar har visat på skillnader till flickornas fördel i subjektiv ( 22) samt objektivt mätt hälsolitteracitet (33), men också att det inte finns skillnader mellan könen (24). Gymnasiestuderandena hade högre hälsolitteracitet än yrkesstuderandena, vilket även en finländsk studie (30) och internationella studier (31,32) visat.…”