Background: Young people and adolescents are increasingly using digital platforms for various purposes, including health aspects, which is not linear about whether they consider health information important or understand it. Objectives: Exploratory study with 51 individuals aged 17 to 25 years to ascertain their perception of health issues. Methodology: For this study, a 10-question questionnaire survey was elaborated and distributed online via the Facebook Social Network to 51 male and female adolescents, aged 17 to 25, living in the Greater Lisbon area, college students. Conclusions and Relevance: Young people want to know about their health, but feel that they should do this research by themselves. On the other hand, health information research and using skills demonstrate a failure in both access to reliable information and processing and understanding.
Cite this paper
Nunes, C. , Almeida, C. V. D. and Belim, C. (2020). Health Literacy in Younger Age Groups: Health Care Perceptions: Informed People Will Be More Prepared People. Open Access Library Journal, 7, e6187. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1106187.
Marcus, E.N. (2006) The Silent Epidemic—The Health effects of Illiteracy. New England Journal of Medicine, 355, 339-341. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp058328
Quenzel, G., Schaeffer, D. and Messer, M. (2015) Health Literacy among Less Well-Educated Young People: Influencing Factors and Consequences. Bundesgesundheitsblatt-Gesundheitsforschung-Gesundheitsschutz, 58, 951-957.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-015-2201-y
OECD (2000) Literacy in the Information Age. Final Report of the International Adult Literacy Survey: Organisation for Economic Co-Operation Development.
Ratzan, S. and Parker, R. (2000) Introduction. In Selden, C.R., Zorn, M., Ratzan, S. and Parker, R.M., Eds., Health Literacy, Current Bibliographies in Medicine 2000-1, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Reference Section, Bethesda, 5-7.
Santos, P., Sá, L., Couto, L. and Hespanhol, A. (2017) Health Literacy as a Key for Effective Preventive Medicine. Cogent Social Sciences, 3, Article ID: 1407522.
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2017.1407522
Santos, P., Sá, L., Couto, L. and Hespanhol, A. (2018) Health Literacy and Equity. In: Figueiredo, G.L.A., Martins, C.H.G. and Akerman, M., Eds., Vulnerabilities & Health: Groups on the Scene for Visibility in Urban Space, HUCITEC, 462-473.
Silva, C.F., Rocha, P. and Santos, P. (2018) Consumption of Licit and Illicit Substances in Portuguese Young People: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of International Medical Research, 46, 3042-3052.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0300060518767588
Santos, P., Sá, L., Couto, L. and Hespanhol, A. (2018) Sources of Information in Health Education: A Crosssectional Study in Portuguese University Students. AMJ, 11, 352-360. https://doi.org/10.21767/AMJ.2018.3435
Stellefson, M., Hanik, B., Chaney, B., Chaney, D., Tennant, B. and Chavarria, E.A. (2011) eHealth Literacy among College Students: A Systematic Review with Implications for eHealth Education. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13, e102.
https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.1703
Bodie, G.D. and Dutta, M.J. (2008) Understanding Health Literacy for Strategic Health Marketing: eHealth Literacy, Health Disparities, and the Digital Divide. Health Marketing Quarterly, 25, 175-203.
https://doi.org/10.1080/07359680802126301
Rudd, R.E., Kaphingst, K., Colton, T., Gregoire, J. and Hyde, J. (2004) Rewriting Public Health Information in Plain Language. Journal of Health Communication, 9, 195-206. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730490447039
Vaz de Almeida, C. (2016) Welcoming, Empowering, Forwarding—Health Literacy: The Paths to Greater Training for Health Professionals. Congress of the Scientific Association of Nurses (ACE) Magazine in Training, Lisbon, 12-13 May 2016, 8-15.
http://www.acenfermeiros.pt/ficheiros/uploads/6011fa933c32bfb94c5cc8388fcb30e6.pdf
Belim, C. and Vaz de Almeida, C. (2018) Healthy Thanks to Communication: A Model of Communication Competences to Optimize Health Literacy—Assertiveness, Clear Language, and Positivity. In: Papalois, V. and Theodosopoulou, M., Eds., Optimizing Health Literacy for Improved Clinical Practices, IGI Global, Hershey, 124-152. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-4074-8.ch008
McMullan, M. (2006) Patients Using the Internet to Obtain Health Information: How This Affects the Patient—Health Professional Relationship. Patient Education & Counseling, 63, 24-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2005.10.006
Fox, S. (2011) Ehealth Literacy among College Students: A Systematic Review with Implications for Ehealth Education. Pew Internet & American Life Project, Washington DC. https://www.webcitation.org/62D0se6Gu
Taquette, S., Vilhena, M.M. and Paula, M.C. (2004) Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Adolescence: Study of Risk Factors. Brazilian Society Journal Tropical Medicine, 37, 210-214. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0037-86822004000300003
Gray, N.J., Klein, J.D., Noyce, P.R., Sesselberg, T.S. and Cantrill, J.A. (2005) The Internet: A Window on Adolescent Health Literacy. Journal of Adolescent Health, 37, 243.e1-243.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2004.08.023
Coleman (2001) Meeting the Health Needs of Young People. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 55, 532-533. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.55.8.532
Murden, A. and Cadenasso, J. (2018) Being Young in the Digital Age. An Approach to the Processes of Construction of Subjectivity. CEPAL: Foundation SM.
Sorensen, K., Van den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z. and Brand, H. (2012) Health Literacy and Public Health: A Systematic Review and Integration of Definitions and Models. BMC Public Health, 12, Article No. 80.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-80
Hinnant, A. and Len-Rios, M.E. (2009) Tacit Understandings of Health Literacy. Science Communication, 31, 84-115. https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547009335345
Norman, C.D. and Skinner, H.A. (2006) Ehealth Literacy: Essential Skills for Consumer Health in a Networked World. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 8, e9.
https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.8.2.e9
Ghaddar, S.F., Valerio, M.A., Garcia, C.M. and Hansen, L. (2012) Adolescent Health Literacy: The Importance of Credible Sources for Online Health Information. Journal of School Health, 82, 28-36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00664.x
Andreassen, H.K., Bujnowska-Fedak, M.M., Chronaki, C.E., Dumitru, R.C., Pudule, I., Santana, S., et al. (2007) European Citizens’ Use of E-Health Services: A Study of Seven Countries. BMC Public Health, 7, 53-60.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-7-53
Berger, T. (2009) Meet the e-Patient: Chancen und Risiken des Internets für das Verh?ltnis von Gesundheitsfachleuten und ihren Klienten. In: Stetina, B.U. and Kryspin-Exner, I., Eds., Gesundheit und Neue Medien, Springer, Wien, 73-83.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-72015-8_4
Schmidt-Kaehler, S. (2004) Patienteninformation online. Theoretische Grundlagen, Planung und Entwicklung eines Konzeptes für die Patientenschulung im Internet. Hans Huber, Bern.
Seabra, A.F., Mendon?a, D.M., Thomis, M.A., Anjos, L.A. and Maia, J.A. (2008) Biological and Socio-Cultural Determinants Associated with Physical Activity in Adolescents. Public Health Notebook, 24, 721-736
https://www.scielosp.org/article/csp/2008.v24n4/721-736
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2008000400002
Pechanskya, F., Szobota, C.M. and Scivoletto, S. (2004) Alcohol Use among Adolescents: Concepts, Epidemiological Characteristics and Etiopathogenic Factors. Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 26, 14-17
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/%0D/rbp/v26s1/a05v26s1.pdf
Camargo, E.A.I. and Ferrari, R.A.P. (2009) Adolescents: Knowledge about Sexuality before and after the Participation in Prevention Workshops. Ciência Saúde Coletiva, 14, 937-946. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81232009000300030
Pinto, T.R., Pinto, J.C., Pinto, H.R. and Paiva, T. (2016) Sleep in Portuguese Adolescents: Proposal for a Three-Dimensional Model. Psychological Analysis, 34, 339-352.
Norman, C.D. and Skinner, H.A. (2006) eHEALS: The eHealth Literacy Scale. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 8, e27. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.8.4.e27
Tversky, A. and Kahneman, D. (1973) Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Science, 185, 1124-1131. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.185.4157.1124