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Cited by 42Health Literacy and Information AccessibilityPublic Health and Social InequalitiesHealth and Wellbeing Research

Status and determinants of health literacy: a study among adult population in selected areas of Myanmar

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Oo, Win, Soe, Pa, Lwin, Kay·2015·International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
DOI 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20150489
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Abstract

Background: Health literacy means cognitive and social skills of an individual that determine his or her ability to access, understand and use health information in order to promote and maintain good health. Health literacy is important not only for health but also for socioeconomic development because limited health literacy increases health care cost. Objective: To determine the status and determinants of health literacy, and association between health literacy and health-risk behaviours among Myanmar population.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1367 adults. Multi-stage random sampling was applied. Data entry and analysis was done using Stata 11.0 statistical package.Results: The prevalence of satisfactory, intermediate and poor health literacy were about 31.5% (95% CI: 29.1%, 34.1%), 40.3% (95% CI: 37.7%, 43.0%), and 28.2% (95% CI: 25.8%, 30.6%), respectively. Age, sex, marital status, education, sufficiency of expenditure, watching medical-related TV series, accessibility to education & health education courses, ability to pay for medication and affordability to see medical doctors were detected as significant determinants of health literacy. Health literacy was also significantly related to health-risk behaviors such as smoking, betel chewing, and not taking regular exercise. There was marginal association between health literacy and alcohol drinking (p = 0.064).Conclusions:The present study encourages efforts to improve health literacy in the Myanmar adults by enhancing health education and health promotion activities. It is also important to improve their socio-economic status.

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  • In Myanmar, 28.2% of patients, caregivers, and general population had limited health literacy.

    “Previous studies in Southeast Asia reported a high prevalence of limited health literacy in Malaysia (94.2% among caregivers in 2015 and 85.8% among type 2 DM patients in 2016), while in the neighbour countries such as Singapore (43.7%), Thailand (48.7%) and Myanmar (28.2%) a lower percentage could be found among patients, caregivers, and general population [21–25].”

    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 [25]

    The Results report 28.2% with *poor* health literacy among adults sampled from households in selected areas of Myanmar. The Methods distinguish poor literacy from the 40.3% classified as intermediate, so the paper does not report 28.2% as the prevalence of limited health literacy overall. It does not identify the Myanmar sample specifically as patients or caregivers. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • In Singapore, 43.7% of patients, caregivers, and general population had limited health literacy.

    “Previous studies in Southeast Asia reported a high prevalence of limited health literacy in Malaysia (94.2% among caregivers in 2015 and 85.8% among type 2 DM patients in 2016), while in the neighbour countries such as Singapore (43.7%), Thailand (48.7%) and Myanmar (28.2%) a lower percentage could be found among patients, caregivers, and general population [21–25].”

    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 [25]

    The Results report 28.2% poor health literacy among participants in Myanmar, which corresponds to the Myanmar figure in the citing sentence. Our copy does not report a Singapore estimate of 43.7% or identify a Singapore population; searches for that figure and population found no supporting passage. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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  • In Malaysia, 85.8% of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in 2016 had limited health literacy.

    “Previous studies in Southeast Asia reported a high prevalence of limited health literacy in Malaysia (94.2% among caregivers in 2015 and 85.8% among type 2 DM patients in 2016), while in the neighbour countries such as Singapore (43.7%), Thailand (48.7%) and Myanmar (28.2%) a lower percentage could be found among patients, caregivers, and general population [21–25].”

    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 [25]

    The Results report 28.2% poor health literacy among adults in selected areas of Myanmar, matching a different part of the citing sentence. Searches for Malaysia, 85.8%, and type 2 diabetes patients found no passage in this paper addressing the quoted Malaysian claim. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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  • In Thailand, 48.7% of patients, caregivers, and general population had limited health literacy.

    “Previous studies in Southeast Asia reported a high prevalence of limited health literacy in Malaysia (94.2% among caregivers in 2015 and 85.8% among type 2 DM patients in 2016), while in the neighbour countries such as Singapore (43.7%), Thailand (48.7%) and Myanmar (28.2%) a lower percentage could be found among patients, caregivers, and general population [21–25].”

    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 [25]

    The Methods describe a household sample of adults in Myanmar, and the Results report 28.2% with poor health literacy there. A search for Thailand and 48.7% found no passage in our copy reporting the claimed Thai figure or population. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In Malaysia, 94.2% of caregivers in 2015 had limited health literacy.

    “Previous studies in Southeast Asia reported a high prevalence of limited health literacy in Malaysia (94.2% among caregivers in 2015 and 85.8% among type 2 DM patients in 2016), while in the neighbour countries such as Singapore (43.7%), Thailand (48.7%) and Myanmar (28.2%) a lower percentage could be found among patients, caregivers, and general population [21–25].”

    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 [25]

    The Results (Table 3) report 28.2% poor health literacy among participants in Myanmar, not 94.2% limited health literacy among Malaysian caregivers. Searches for “94.2% caregivers Malaysia 2015” and “Malaysian caregivers limited health literacy” found no passage addressing the Malaysian claim. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 10

  1. Nutbeam D, Kickbusch IS. Advancing health literacy: a global challenge for the 21st century. Health Promotion International. 2000;15(3):183-4.
  2. Nutbeam D. Health promotion glossary. Health Promotion International. 1998;13:349-64.
  3. Eichler K, Wieser S, Brugger U. The cost of limited health literacy: a systematic review. International Journal of Public Health. 2009;54(5):313-24.
  4. Kickbush IS. Health literacy: addressing the health and education divide. Health Promotion International. 2001;16(3):289-97.
  5. Williams MV, Baker DW, Parker RM & Nurss JR. Relationship of functional health literacy to patient's knowledge of their chronic disease: a study of patients with hypertension and diabetes. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1998;158:166-72.
  6. Wagner CV, Knight K, Steptoe A & Wardle J. Functional health literacy and health-promoting behaviour in a national sample of British adults. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2007;61:1086-90.
  7. D' Cruz AM, Aradhya MRS. Health literacy among Indian adults seeking dental care. Dent Res J (Isfahan). 2013;10(1):20-4.
  8. Rathnakar UP, Madhuri B, Ashwin K, Unnikrishnan B, Ashok SK, Udupa AL. Evaluation of health literacy status among patients in a tertiary care hospital in Coastal Karnataka, India. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2013;7(11);2551- 4.
  9. Paasche-Orlow MK, Parker RM, Gazmararian JA, Nielsen-Bohlman LT & Rudd RR. The prevalence of limited health literacy. J Gen Intern Med. 2005;20:175-84.
  10. Sun X, Shi Y, Zeng Q, Wang Y, Du W, Wei N, Xie R & Chang C. Determinants of health literacy and health behaviour regarding infectious respiratory diseases: a pathway model. Available at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/13/261. Last accessed on 30th May, 2014.

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Authors
Oo, W., Soe, P., & Lwin, K.
Affiliations
University Of Medicine 1 Yangon (MM)
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Publisher
Medip Academy
Published
2015
Pages
318-322
ISSN
2394-6032 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20150489
OpenAlex
W1133392658
Cited by
42
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1
FWCI
1.70
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
  • Social Sciences › Health › Public Health and Social Inequalities
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Wellbeing Research
Keywords
health literacy, determinants of health literacy, health risk behaviors, smoking, betel quid chewing, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, socioeconomic status, health education, health promotion

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