Ferreira-Alfaya Francisco Javier
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Granada University, Campus de Cartuja, 18011, Granada, Spain.
J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2025 Jun 26. doi: 10.1007/s40615-025-02528-0.
Migration status, belonging to ethnic or racial minorities, and low educational and socioeconomic levels are predisposing factors for low health literacy, which can be further exacerbated by incarceration. This study aimed to explore the health literacy levels of incarcerated individuals in a European enclave on the African continent and compare these findings with the Spanish population assessed in the European Health Literacy Survey. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sampling method between August and September 2023. Participants completed the short form of the Spanish version of the European Health Literacy Survey questionnaire, and relevant sociodemographic data were collected. This instrument assessed the skills of accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying health-related information. Sociodemographic variables such as age, education level, nationality, and length of incarceration were included to enable a more nuanced analysis of the factors contributing to health literacy disparities. A total of 71 inmates with a basic command of the Spanish language participated. Of these, 94.37% demonstrated inadequate or problematic health literacy levels. The most pronounced disparities, compared to the non-incarcerated population, were observed in accessing health information, particularly in the domain of disease prevention. No significant associations were identified between health literacy levels and the selected sociodemographic variables. However, being part of the incarcerated population, itself emerged as a determining factor for low health literacy when compared to the non-incarcerated population, findings reveal significant health literacy deficits among the incarcerated population, emphasizing the role of incarceration as both a challenge and an opportunity for intervention.
移民身份、属于少数族裔或种族以及低教育水平和社会经济水平是健康素养低下的诱发因素，而监禁可能会进一步加剧这种情况。本研究旨在探索非洲大陆上一个欧洲飞地中被监禁者的健康素养水平，并将这些结果与欧洲健康素养调查中评估的西班牙人群的结果进行比较。2023年8月至9月期间，采用便利抽样方法进行了一项横断面研究。参与者完成了欧洲健康素养调查问卷西班牙语版本的简短形式，并收集了相关的社会人口学数据。该工具评估了获取、理解、评估和应用健康相关信息的技能。纳入了年龄、教育水平、国籍和监禁时长等社会人口学变量，以便更细致地分析导致健康素养差异的因素。共有71名具备基本西班牙语能力的囚犯参与。其中，94.37%的人表现出健康素养水平不足或存在问题。与非监禁人群相比，在获取健康信息方面，尤其是在疾病预防领域，观察到了最明显的差异。未发现健康素养水平与所选社会人口学变量之间存在显著关联。然而，与非监禁人群相比，作为被监禁人群的一部分本身就成为健康素养低下的一个决定性因素，研究结果揭示了被监禁人群中存在显著的健康素养缺陷，强调了监禁既是一种挑战也是一个干预机会的作用。
