Zhang Fan, Or Peggy P L, Chung Joanne W Y
Department of Health and Physical Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
Health Expect. 2021 Apr;24(2):617-627. doi: 10.1111/hex.13208. Epub 2021 Feb 4.
Health literacy, the ability to access, understand, evaluate and apply health information, was found to contribute to positive health outcomes, possibly via promoting healthy behaviours. However, the specific pathways linking different health literacy skills to health and well-being have remained unclear.
A cross-sectional survey with structural questionnaires was administered among 2236 adults in Hong Kong (mean age = 46.10 ± 19.05). Health literacy was measured by HLS-Asian-47. Participants' physical conditions and subjective well-being were predicted by health literacy and health behaviours with structural modelling path analysis.
Health literacy in finding and understanding information showed a direct effect on enhancing physical health, while applying information capacity had an indirect positive effect via promoting health behaviours, which was moderated by sex. Only among women, this indirect effect predicting fewer physical symptoms and better well-being was significant.
Different health literacy dimensions showed distinct direct and indirect pathways in influencing health for men and women. Based on the findings, skill trainings should be developed to enhance both gender's abilities of finding and understanding health information, while the ability of applying health information should also be improved for modifying lifestyle and promoting health, particularly for women.
Two thousand and two hundred thirty-six adults from different districts of Hong Kong participated in the study, and responded to questions on health literacy, behaviours and health status.
健康素养是指获取、理解、评估和应用健康信息的能力，研究发现它可能通过促进健康行为对积极的健康结果有所贡献。然而，将不同健康素养技能与健康和幸福联系起来的具体途径仍不明确。
对香港2236名成年人（平均年龄=46.10±19.05）进行了一项采用结构化问卷的横断面调查。健康素养通过亚洲健康素养量表-47进行测量。通过结构建模路径分析，用健康素养和健康行为来预测参与者的身体状况和主观幸福感。
查找和理解信息方面的健康素养对增强身体健康有直接影响，而应用信息的能力通过促进健康行为产生间接的积极影响，且这种影响存在性别差异。仅在女性中，这种预测较少身体症状和更好幸福感的间接影响是显著的。
不同的健康素养维度在影响男性和女性健康方面显示出不同的直接和间接途径。基于这些发现，应开展技能培训，以提高男女查找和理解健康信息的能力，同时也应提高应用健康信息以改变生活方式和促进健康的能力，特别是对女性而言。
来自香港不同地区的2236名成年人参与了该研究，并回答了有关健康素养、行为和健康状况的问题。
