Health literacy research in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: an integrative review

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

International Journal of Public Health

Publication Date

5-1-2019

Abstract

© 2019, Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+). Objectives: This integrative review examines health literacy research in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) and describes: (1) assessments and screening tools used to measure levels of health literacy, and (2) the focus, methods, and findings of health literacy research in the region. Methods: A total of 246 records were identified through a systematic search of online databases from 1950 to 2017, to include: ProQuest Middle East and Africa, MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Academic OneFile, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The final sample included 49 full-text articles. Results: This research described 7 studies which used existing or new health literacy measures. Levels of health literacy in the EMR were similar to those for Europe and the United States. Low health literacy in EMR countries was more prevalent among females than males. The relationships between health literacy and knowledge, behavior and health outcomes varied across countries. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study is the first in the EMR. Appropriately designed studies should better define health literacy needs due to variations in socioeconomic status within subregions. Future health literacy measures must consider stronger psychometric properties to guide development and validation.

ISSN

1661-8556

Publisher

Springer International Publishing

Volume

64

Issue

4

First Page

523

Last Page

533

Disciplines

Life Sciences

Keywords

Health literacy, Middle East, Review

Scopus ID

85065712962

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

Link to Full Text

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