Health literacy survey in health science students versus population-based sample of residents in Singapore

Abstract

Background:

Health literacy encompasses the social and cognitive skills required to access, comprehend, and use health information to maintain or improve health. This is the first study to assess the health literacy levels of health science students and adult residents in Singapore using the health literacy questionnaire (HLQ) and compare their levels.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Singapore from December 2019 to January 2023. The 44-item HLQ was administered to (1) entry-level health science students in a local university and (2) adult residents aged 18 and 80 who could understand and respond in English, Mandarin, or Malay. Variables such as demographic data, gender, age, language(s) spoken, education levels, and employment status were collected. HLQ scores were analysed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U-test, and rank-biserial coefficient.

Results:

Two hundred and eighty-two surveys were returned (students, n = 112; residents, n = 170). Overall, the health science students, particularly the female subgroup, obtained higher mean HLQ scores than the residents. Conversely, male residents scored better in 5 of the 9 subscales. Most comparisons lack statistical significance despite the noticeable effect sizes.

Conclusions:

Health science students have better health literacy when navigating health information. However, the lack of significant difference between groups for most HLQ scales, especially when comparing within age groups, indicated that the health science students needed to be more confident in their health literacy skills.