Swiss have insufficient health literacy
More than half of the Swiss population has difficulty understanding information on disease prevention, according to a new study by the FOPH.
A large part of the Swiss population does not have sufficient health literacy. This is shown by a new study.
Health literacy is the ability of individuals to make decisions in their daily lives that have a positive impact on their health. The health literacy of the population was analyzed in the three areas of "disease management", "disease prevention" and "health promotion". The results show that the Swiss resident population has difficulties understanding and assessing information, especially in the area of disease prevention. For example, questions about why vaccinations are necessary or which vaccinations a person needs are difficult for respondents to answer. Uncertainties also exist when it comes to questions about preventive medical examinations.
Similar to respondents in selected EU countries (Bulgaria, Spain, Austria, Germany, Greece, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands), the Swiss resident population finds it rather difficult to judge what the advantages and disadvantages of a treatment are and when a second opinion from another doctor should be sought.
The resident population has less difficulty following instructions from physicians and pharmacists or understanding their instructions for taking medication. They find it easy to understand warnings against unhealthy behavior or to find information about behavioral measures that promote health.
Education and income as a factor
Well-educated and financially better-off individuals exhibit higher health literacy. As a rule, the lower the income, the lower the health literacy. Women have slightly higher health literacy than men. The additional survey of people with a migration background from Turkey and Portugal shows that health literacy is only partially influenced by migration background.
The study also provides information on the extent to which health literacy affects health status and whether it has an influence on how many medical services are used. As with respondents in EU countries, those living in Switzerland with low health literacy tend to feel less healthy and are more likely to have a medical problem that lasts longer. Hospital stays decrease with increasing health literacy.
The study was conducted by the Federal Office of Public Health together with the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office and the Swiss Health Promotion Foundation in the fall of 2015. A representative sample of the entire Swiss resident population and additionally two migration groups from Turkey and Portugal were surveyed. A questionnaire developed as part of an EU project was used for the survey so that the results can be compared with those of EU countries.
The results of the study will now be evaluated in detail to assess which measures can be used to improve the health literacy of the Swiss population.
