- Almost half of adults in Europe have reported having problems with health literacy and not having enough competencies to take care of their health and that of others.
- It is difficult to enhance health literacy because the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged rapidly and immediate actions are required by governments and citizens.
- Irrational behaviors in non-compliance with COVID-19 policies might be explained by misperception of risks.
- Health literacy could help people understand the reasons behind recommendations and then reflect on outcomes of their possible actions.
This data comes from a comment written by Leena Paakkari from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences in the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. It explores the effects of poor health literacy in some individuals alongside the consequences.
Source :
- Paakkari L. (April 14, 2020). COVID-19: health literacy is an underestimated problem. The Lancet, Public Health. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30086-4