AUTHOR=Svendsen Ida W. , Damgaard Maria B. , Bak Carsten K. , Bøggild Henrik , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Svendsen Majbritt T. , Berg-Beckhoff Gabriele 

TITLE=Employment Status and Health Literacy in Denmark: A Population-Based Study

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 66 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2021.598083

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2021.598083

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objectives:
Examining whether specific population groups who are not working and those who have an employment have the same health literacy level in a Danish population-based sample. 

Methods:
Data were retrieved from a nationally representative cross-sectional study of the Danish population conducted with the short health literacy questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) in 2016 and 2017. In total, 15,682 adults aged 25 years or older were invited whereof 8,997 participated. Socio-demographic characteristics were drawn from national registers. Odds ratio for the association between employment status and health literacy was estimated from logistic regression models, adjusted for sex, age, immigration status, educational attainment, cohabitation, and household income. Probability weights were used in all analyses to adjust for differences in responses.

Results:
This study found a weighted prevalence ranging from 32% to 54% for inadequate health literacy in Denmark with the highest prevalence for unemployment benefits. Logistic regression analyses showed that receiving unemployment benefits, social assistance, employment and support allowance, retirement pension and sickness benefit were significantly associated with having inadequate health literacy compared to being employed in any industry. The highest odds ratio for inadequate health literacy was present in the group receiving unemployment benefit OR=1.78 (95% CI:1.23-2.56).

Conclusions:
Population groups not working and receiving economic public support have higher odds of inadequate health literacy competencies compared to those active in the labour force, considering age and socioeconomic factors. The result contributes to understanding the health disparities in connection to occupational situation. Health policies to increase health literacy must be tailored to the vulnerable groups outside the labour market.