Health literacy can influence people’s ability to access, understand and use health information, making it an important factor in both NCD prevention and health equity. This study, supported by JA PreventNCD and JACARDI, examines how health literacy can be measured reliably across general and migrant-origin populations in Finland.
Using data from two large Finnish population studies, the researchers adapted and validated the 12-item European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS19-Q12). The study examined whether the questionnaire performs consistently across different population and language groups, including native and non-native speakers of Finnish and English and Russian-speaking migrants. The Finnish version demonstrated good reliability, and the findings generally supported the use of the tool for monitoring health literacy across diverse populations.
The study also found clear links between health literacy and socioeconomic, health and migration-related factors. Among migrant-origin populations, higher health literacy was associated with factors including longer residence in Finland and stronger Finnish or Swedish language skills. The authors highlight the importance of valid and culturally sensitive measurement and recommend culturally and linguistically responsive approaches to health literacy interventions and policymaking. Reliable health literacy monitoring can help identify population groups facing greater barriers and support more equitable public health action.
Read the full paper in BMC Public Health:
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-26356-x