Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Health Literacy

Health literacy is the capacity of individuals to obtain, understand, appraise and use health information to make informed decisions about their care and wellbeing. It encompasses functional skills such as reading and numeracy in health contexts, as well as the ability to navigate health systems, communicate with pr…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 12 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 67× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2693-1176

Overview

Health literacy is the capacity of individuals to obtain, understand, appraise and use health information to make informed decisions about their care and wellbeing. It encompasses functional skills such as reading and numeracy in health contexts, as well as the ability to navigate health systems, communicate with providers and apply guidance to self-management. Low health literacy is associated with poorer understanding of disease, reduced adherence and worse outcomes, making it an important determinant of health equity. Research relevant to this topic examines disease-specific literacy and self-management, as in osteoarthritis and glaucoma, and the role of literacy in fall prevention and chronic-disease care among older adults. Studies also assess knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding conditions such as cardiovascular disease, the design and evaluation of evidence-based health information materials, and health-seeking behavior and preventive care, including in maternal health and the management of chronic and non-communicable diseases. Health literacy intersects with culture, language and access, shaping how information is received and acted upon across populations. By clarifying how people engage with health information, the study of health literacy informs the design of communication, education and patient-support interventions intended to improve comprehension, self-care and health outcomes, particularly among vulnerable and older populations.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 67 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Nov 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Health Literacy, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in International Journal of Global Health (ISSN 2693-1176).

Journal editorial board
Andrew Hall · United Kingdom Aroonsri Mongkolchati · Thailand Dazhi Fan · China

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.