Health Community Helps Improve National Health Literacy

Amway Corporation

Executive summary

Health literacy refers to the ability of individuals to obtain, understand, and utilize health information and services. The monitoring of health literacy in China primarily encompasses three dimensions: knowledge, behavior, and skills, which are further delineated into six types of issues, including science-based health perspective and the prevention and control of infectious diseases, among others. Global experience has demonstrated that insufficient health literacy can adversely affect health, escalate medical costs, and even impede the implementation of public health policies. In United States, Singapore, and Finland, significant health literacy improvement has been achieved through community-based education, the use of concise language, and cross-agency coordination. For instance, thanks to community intervention, North Karelia, Finland, has seen an 85% reduction in coronary heart disease mortality. In China, the Healthy China 2030 Strategy lists health literacy as a key indicator. Health literacy is expected to reach 31.87% in 2024, an increase of 23.07 percentage points over 2012.Problems such as significant urban-rural disparities, insufficient health literacy among the elderly and less-educated, and rampant misinformation persist, and the rising burden of chronic diseases underscores the urgency for improving health literacy.

To understand the key areas and primary measures for improving health literacy, this study covers 3,970 persons who participate in health-focused communities and employs the national standardized questionnaire to assess the level of health literacy (a total score at or above 80 (total 100) is considered as being health literate). The assessment covers three dimensions - knowledge, behavior, and skills - as well as six types of health issues. Using the regression model, and controlling for factors such as age and education, this study analyzes the relationship between health literacy and community activity participation frequency and activity types.

This study finds that 58.16% of the respondents are health literate; more specifically, respondents are the least health literate on healthy lifestyle (54.21%) and chronic disease prevention and treatment (31.71%), and they are best literate on safety and first aid (84.89%). Those who demonstrate low levels of health literate are the elderly (47.56%), those with poor education backgrounds pheasants (27.45%) and chronic disease patients. Those who demonstrate high levels of health literacy are those with strong education backgrounds (82.26% for those with a post-graduate degree and above) and healthcare workers (83.09%). There is a positive linkage between participating in health-focused communities and health literacy. Those who participate in health-focused community activities 3-5 times per week has a significantly higher health literacy level (61.31%) than those who never participate (47.03%). Weight management and exercise-focused communities significantly promote healthy behaviors, whereas health knowledge education communities are more effective in enhancing knowledge literacy. Controlling for factors such as age, education, and health status, the regression analysis indicates that participating in health-focused community activities remains to be a key factor affecting health literacy. The health literacy level of those who participate 3-5 times per week is 1.516 times that of those who never participate. Given the fact that other factors are hard to change, participating in health-focused community activities provides a key intervention.

Recommendations are made based on the findings of this study while considering international best practices. Firstly, build a multi-tiered health community network that integrates communities, schools, and enterprises. Establish offline communities focused on chronic disease management and exercise check-ins, and expand coverage by incorporating digital platforms. Enhance participation motivation through a points system or “Health Champion” awards. Secondly, address weak spots by focusing on cultivating healthy lifestyle and the right skills. Promote the establishment of self-management groups for chronic disease patients. By learning from the Finnish model, promote behavioral change, improve health literacy, and establish authoritative channels to debunk myths and optimize the dissemination of information. Thirdly, ensure cross-departmental collaboration to carry out digital empowerment efforts. By uniting health departments, medical institutions, and enterprises, develop a unified information platform that helps people better understand health knowledge and ensure authoritative information to reach diversified audiences.

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