Barbieri Verena, Ausserhofer Dietmar, Lombardo Stefano, Engl Adolf, Piccoliori Giuliano, Gärtner Timon, Wiedermann Christian J
Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Claudiana-College of Health Professions, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
Provincial Institute for Statistics of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-South Tyrol (ASTAT), 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
Vaccines (Basel). 2025 May 28;13(6):575. doi: 10.3390/vaccines13060575.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vaccination rates in South Tyrol, Northern Italy, remain among the lowest in the country. This study investigated whether health literacy is associated with vaccine uptake in this multilingual region.
A representative cross-sectional survey ( = 2090) was conducted using the validated European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) to assess health literacy. Vaccine uptake was evaluated on a 4-point Likert scale and analysed by age group (18-54 years; ≥55 years). Associations were explored using ANCOVA and multivariate logistic regression models.
Among younger adults (18-54 years), higher health literacy was significantly associated with greater vaccine uptake, particularly when compared with individuals with missing health literacy data. Health literacy was not a significant predictor for vaccine uptake in the older age group (≥55 years). Instead, vaccine uptake correlated with trust in healthcare providers, the presence of chronic diseases, and educational level. Differences in health literacy were notable across language groups, but these did not interact with vaccination behaviour.
Building trust and targeting individuals with lower educational attainment are key strategies for improving vaccination rates across language groups. Although health literacy plays a secondary role, efforts to enhance it, especially among the German-speaking population, are still warranted. Younger individuals with missing health literacy scores, often with a migration background and low trust in healthcare, should be prioritised in vaccination and health literacy campaigns.
背景/目的：意大利北部南蒂罗尔的疫苗接种率在该国一直处于最低水平。本研究调查了在这个多语言地区，健康素养是否与疫苗接种情况相关。
采用经过验证的欧洲健康素养调查问卷（HLS-EU-Q16）进行了一项代表性横断面调查（n = 2090），以评估健康素养。疫苗接种情况采用4点李克特量表进行评估，并按年龄组（18 - 54岁；≥55岁）进行分析。使用协方差分析和多变量逻辑回归模型探索相关性。
在较年轻的成年人（18 - 54岁）中，较高的健康素养与更高的疫苗接种率显著相关，特别是与健康素养数据缺失的个体相比。在老年组（≥55岁）中，健康素养不是疫苗接种的显著预测因素。相反，疫苗接种与对医疗服务提供者的信任、慢性病的存在以及教育水平相关。不同语言群体的健康素养存在显著差异，但这些差异与疫苗接种行为没有相互作用。
建立信任和针对教育程度较低的个体是提高各语言群体疫苗接种率的关键策略。虽然健康素养起次要作用，但仍有必要努力提高它，特别是在说德语的人群中。在疫苗接种和健康素养宣传活动中，应优先考虑健康素养得分缺失的年轻个体，他们通常有移民背景且对医疗服务信任度低。
