COVID-19: health literacy is an underestimated problem
Open accessAbstract
Rapid development of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into a pandemic has called for people to acquire and apply health information, and adapt their behaviour at a fast pace.1 Health communication intended to educate people about the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and how to avoid getting or spreading the infection has become widely available. Most valuable information is created in an easy-to-understand manner that offers simple and practical solutions, such as washing hands, maintaining physical distance2, and where to find information about the latest recommendations, and advice.
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Health literacy is an important concept during the COVID-19 pandemic, when health information is available mostly in digital and online forms.
“Health literacy is an important concept during the COVID-19 pandemic, when health information is available mostly in digital and online forms [12], while people need the skills to navigate these information environments and process and filter information to make health decisions.”
From Digital health literacy, online information-seeking behaviour, and satisfaction of Covid-19 information among the university students of East and South-East Asia (2022) · cites this paper as [12]
In the main text (page not specified), the paper calls health literacy important for preventing communicable diseases during COVID-19 and discusses the need to acquire and use health information. It does not say that health information is available mostly in digital or online forms. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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Zarocostas, J. (2020) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30461-x · Cited by 2,344 · see citing works
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Research works printed but not linked: 4
- [2]Prem K Liu Y Russell TW The effect of control strategies to reduce social mixing on outcomes of the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan, China: a modelling study Lancet Public Health 2020 published online March 25. 10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30073-6 PMC7158905 32220655 · DOI
- [3]Sørensen K Pelikan JM Röthlin F Health literacy in Europe: comparative results of the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU) Eur J Public Health 25 2015 1053 1058 25843827 PMC4668324
- [5]Wikler D Personal and social responsibility for health Ethics Int Aff 16 2002 47 55 15709278
- [6]May T Public communication, risk perception, and the viability of preventive vaccination against communicable diseases Bioethics 19 2005 407 421 16222856
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The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances in COVID-19 patients: a meta-analysis
Deng, J., Zhou, F., Hou, W., Silver, Z., Wong, C. Y., Chang, O., Huang, E., & Zuo, Q. K. (2021) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.14506 · Cited by 771 · see citing works
Palamenghi, L., Barello, S., Boccia, S., & Graffigna, G. (2020) · European Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s10654-020-00675-8 · Cited by 483 · see citing works
Dadaczynski, K., Okan, O., Messer, M., Leung, A. Y. M., Rosário, R., Darlington, E., & Rathmann, K. (2021) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/24097 · Cited by 390 · see citing works
Self-citationSentell, T., Vamos, S., & Okan, O. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17093010 · Cited by 259 · see citing works
Self-citationPatil, U., Kostareva, U., Hadley, M., Manganello, J. A., Okan, O., Dadaczynski, K., Massey, P. M., Agner, J., & Sentell, T. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18063301 · Cited by 245 · see citing works
Self-citationZaidman, E. A., Scott, K. M., Hahn, D., Bennett, P., & Caldwell, P. H. (2023) · Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health · doi:10.1111/jpc.16297 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Duplaga, M., & Grysztar, M. (2021) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare9010043 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Vrdelja, M., Vrbovšek, S., Klopčič, V., Dadaczynski, K., & Okan, O. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18168507 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Self-citationHtay, M. N. N., Parial, L. L., Tolabing, M. C., Dadaczynski, K., Okan, O., Leung, A. Y. M., & Su, T. T. (2022) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0266276 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Self-citationBak, C. K., Krammer, J. Ø., Dadaczynski, K., Orkan, O., von Seelen, J., Prinds, C., Søbjerg, L. M., & Klakk, H. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19063676 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Ishikawa, H., Miyawaki, R., Kato, M., Muilenburg, J. L., Tomar, Y. A., & Kawamura, Y. (2025) · SSM - Population Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2025.101844 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
- Authors
- Paakkari, L., & Okan, O.
- Affiliations
- University of Jyväskylä (FI)
- Bielefeld University (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Paakkari, Leena
- Venue
- The Lancet Public Health
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-05
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- e249-e250
- ISSN
- 2468-2667 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7156243
- OpenAlex
- W3017178742
- Cited by
- 847
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 70 · 2025: 60 · 2024: 101 · 2023: 147 · 2022: 177 · 2021: 196 · 2020: 95
- FWCI
- 153.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- The Lancet Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Jyväskylä University Digital Archive (University of Jyväskylä) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PUB – Publications at Bielefeld University (Bielefeld University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
- Social Sciences › Communication › Communication and COVID-19 Impact
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Public Health Policies and Education
- Keywords
- COVID-19 pandemic, health literacy, health communication, SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, health information, health behavior, public health communication
- MeSH terms
- COVID-19, Humans, Pneumonia, Viral, Global Health, Health Behavior, Coronavirus Infections, Consumer Health Information, Health Literacy, Health Communication, Pandemics
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