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Aim <p>Health literacy (HL) is a key prerequisite for taking informed health decisions and showing health-promoting behavior. While HL has been extensively studied in the general population, evidence on HL in medically indicated, social-insurance co-funded preventive health travelers remains scarce. This study assesses the level and distribution on HL in this group and compares it with the Austrian general population.</p> Subject and methods <p>A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 406 adults with musculoskeletal conditions during preventive health-related stays in the Gastein Valley (Aug 2024–Feb 2025) in Austria. HL was measured using the HLS-EU-Q47 questionnaire. Analyses were weighted for gender, age and region and include descriptive statistics with regression analyses.</p> Results <p>The mean HL score was 33.4 (SD = 8.1); Overall, 49.8% of participants showed limited HL (38.2% problematic; 11.6% inadequate). Higher HL was significantly associated with female gender (<i>p</i> = 0.006) and higher educational attainment (<i>p</i> = 0.005). Compared to the Austrian general population, participants demonstrated slightly higher overall HL and a greater proportion of excellent HL (17.8% vs. 11.2%).</p> Conclusion <p>Despite their health-oriented context, more than half of preventive health travelers exhibited limited HL. Preventive health-related inpatient stays represent an underutilized setting for strengthening HL, particularly through gender- and education-sensitive approaches.</p>

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Health literacy of health-related travelers compared to the general population: Evidence from Austria

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月23日

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  • Carina Mauberger,
  • Elisabeth Nöhammer,
  • Herwig Ostermann

摘要

Aim

Health literacy (HL) is a key prerequisite for taking informed health decisions and showing health-promoting behavior. While HL has been extensively studied in the general population, evidence on HL in medically indicated, social-insurance co-funded preventive health travelers remains scarce. This study assesses the level and distribution on HL in this group and compares it with the Austrian general population.

Subject and methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 406 adults with musculoskeletal conditions during preventive health-related stays in the Gastein Valley (Aug 2024–Feb 2025) in Austria. HL was measured using the HLS-EU-Q47 questionnaire. Analyses were weighted for gender, age and region and include descriptive statistics with regression analyses.

Results

The mean HL score was 33.4 (SD = 8.1); Overall, 49.8% of participants showed limited HL (38.2% problematic; 11.6% inadequate). Higher HL was significantly associated with female gender (p = 0.006) and higher educational attainment (p = 0.005). Compared to the Austrian general population, participants demonstrated slightly higher overall HL and a greater proportion of excellent HL (17.8% vs. 11.2%).

Conclusion

Despite their health-oriented context, more than half of preventive health travelers exhibited limited HL. Preventive health-related inpatient stays represent an underutilized setting for strengthening HL, particularly through gender- and education-sensitive approaches.