Sociodemographic disparities in health literacy among American adults: A national survey study
Objectives: Health literacy is associated with various health behaviors and outcomes. The recent distribution of health literacy across different sociodemographic groups in the U.S. is unknown. This study aims to investigate sociodemographic differences in health literacy among U.S. adults using the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Preventive Medicine Reports |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335525002189 |
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| author | Yiqing “Skylar” Yu Ana Altares Alyssa Leib Laura L. Bellows Christopher Berry Dan J. Graham Megan P. Mueller |
| author_facet | Yiqing “Skylar” Yu Ana Altares Alyssa Leib Laura L. Bellows Christopher Berry Dan J. Graham Megan P. Mueller |
| author_sort | Yiqing “Skylar” Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Health literacy is associated with various health behaviors and outcomes. The recent distribution of health literacy across different sociodemographic groups in the U.S. is unknown. This study aims to investigate sociodemographic differences in health literacy among U.S. adults using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) assessment. Methods: We conducted an online survey in 2022 using CloudResearch, involving 2829 participants. This survey included the NVS to measure health literacy and information on sociodemographic factors. Results: Over 60 % of participants demonstrated inadequate (low to moderate) health literacy. Significant associations between health literacy and gender (p < .01), age (p < .01), ethnicity (p = .02), race (p < .01), education level (p < .01), residential region (p < .01), and household income (p = .04) were found. Males, Black or African American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino individuals, those with lower income, and those residing in the Northeast, South, and West regions exhibited lower health literacy compared to their counterparts. Additionally, a positive correlation between age and health literacy was observed, with the highest health literacy level among adults aged 65 and older. Education level showed a non-linear relationship with health literacy, peaking among those with job-specific training post-high school. Conclusion: The study highlights sociodemographic disparities in health literacy. Targeted interventions and policies are needed to address these gaps, improve health outcomes, and reduce economic burdens associated with low health literacy. Future research should consider additional factors, such as digital literacy and language barriers, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of health literacy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-264fe993c56f4886a2f823db1323d80c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2211-3355 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-264fe993c56f4886a2f823db1323d80c2025-08-23T04:48:07ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552025-09-015710317910.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103179Sociodemographic disparities in health literacy among American adults: A national survey studyYiqing “Skylar” Yu0Ana Altares1Alyssa Leib2Laura L. Bellows3Christopher Berry4Dan J. Graham5Megan P. Mueller6Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; Corresponding author at: 201 Behavioral Sciences Building, 1876 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1876, USA.Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USADepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USADivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USADepartment of Marketing, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USADepartment of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USADepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USAObjectives: Health literacy is associated with various health behaviors and outcomes. The recent distribution of health literacy across different sociodemographic groups in the U.S. is unknown. This study aims to investigate sociodemographic differences in health literacy among U.S. adults using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) assessment. Methods: We conducted an online survey in 2022 using CloudResearch, involving 2829 participants. This survey included the NVS to measure health literacy and information on sociodemographic factors. Results: Over 60 % of participants demonstrated inadequate (low to moderate) health literacy. Significant associations between health literacy and gender (p < .01), age (p < .01), ethnicity (p = .02), race (p < .01), education level (p < .01), residential region (p < .01), and household income (p = .04) were found. Males, Black or African American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino individuals, those with lower income, and those residing in the Northeast, South, and West regions exhibited lower health literacy compared to their counterparts. Additionally, a positive correlation between age and health literacy was observed, with the highest health literacy level among adults aged 65 and older. Education level showed a non-linear relationship with health literacy, peaking among those with job-specific training post-high school. Conclusion: The study highlights sociodemographic disparities in health literacy. Targeted interventions and policies are needed to address these gaps, improve health outcomes, and reduce economic burdens associated with low health literacy. Future research should consider additional factors, such as digital literacy and language barriers, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of health literacy.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335525002189Health literacySociodemographic differencesNewest vital signOnline surveyHealth disparity |
| spellingShingle | Yiqing “Skylar” Yu Ana Altares Alyssa Leib Laura L. Bellows Christopher Berry Dan J. Graham Megan P. Mueller Sociodemographic disparities in health literacy among American adults: A national survey study Preventive Medicine Reports Health literacy Sociodemographic differences Newest vital sign Online survey Health disparity |
| title | Sociodemographic disparities in health literacy among American adults: A national survey study |
| title_full | Sociodemographic disparities in health literacy among American adults: A national survey study |
| title_fullStr | Sociodemographic disparities in health literacy among American adults: A national survey study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sociodemographic disparities in health literacy among American adults: A national survey study |
| title_short | Sociodemographic disparities in health literacy among American adults: A national survey study |
| title_sort | sociodemographic disparities in health literacy among american adults a national survey study |
| topic | Health literacy Sociodemographic differences Newest vital sign Online survey Health disparity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335525002189 |
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