Health literacy at work - individual and organizational health literacy, health supporting leadership and employee wellbeing

Experiences of psychological, social and organisational work environments in occupational health service in Sweden: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to compare and describe different professionals' experiences of workplace psychological and social factors in occupational health (OH) organizations in Sweden.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study with a descriptive and comparative design included 472 respondents with common professions in the occupational health service (OHS) in Sweden. Data were collected with "The General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work" (QPSNordic). The professions have been compared pairwise using the Independent Samples Kruskal-Wallis test, adjusted by Bonferroni correction for multiple tests on subscales and single items and these are presented descriptively.

RESULTS

The experience of the psychological and social work environment on job task measurement level differed between the professionals. Experiences on social and organizational as well as on individual measurement levels are similar between the professionals who perceive them as satisfactory. Out of the 472 respondents, 7% reported that they had seen someone being subjected to harassment and bullying at the workplace during the last six months.

CONCLUSIONS

The experience among the professionals differs most in the Job task measurement level. The results indicate that although different OH professionals experience psychological and social factors at work in different ways, their experiences are generally satisfactory even though harassment and bullying do exist. The research about occupational health professionals and their work environment is sparse. Further applied research is needed for the planning and development of occupational health services in Sweden.

Mental health literacy for public employees

PURPOSE

Although mental disorders are common in the workplace, they often go unnoticed. There is frequently a gap in the recognition and effective management of these disorders, leading to delayed recovery and worsening conditions. This study evaluates the level of Mental Health Literacy (MHL) among employees of the Finance and Planning Departments in the Federal District, Brazil, and proposes preventive measures and de-stigmatization strategies for mental health in the workplace.

METHODS

MHL among active employees was assessed using the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS), developed by O'Connor and Casey (2015) and validated for Brazilian Portuguese by Buta et al. (2024). The data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics, with nonparametric tests used to compare MHL across different groups.

RESULTS

The results showed that 27.6% of participants had adequate literacy, 67.9% had problematic levels, and 4.5% had inadequate levels. Women were observed to have higher literacy levels than men. Additionally, significant variations in literacy levels were noted among individuals with different health conditions; those diagnosed with cancer, depression, or other illnesses had higher literacy than those without diagnosed conditions.

CONCLUSION

To address MHL challenges, educational actions such as awareness campaigns, training, and consultancy programs are essential.

A qualitative study of negative sociocultural experiences of accessing primary health care services among Africans from refugee backgrounds in Australia: implications for organisational health literacy

BACKGROUND

Primary health care is the first point of contact for patients from refugee backgrounds in the Australian health system. Sociocultural factors, including beliefs and value systems, are salient determinants of health literacy and access to primary health care services. Although African refugees in Australia have diverse sociocultural backgrounds, little is known about the influence of sociocultural factors on their experiences of accessing primary health care services. Guided by the theoretical framework of access to health care, this study examined from the perspective of African refugees how culturally and religiously conditioned, constructed and bound health beliefs, knowledge and practices influence their experiences of access to, acceptance and use of primary health care services and information in Australia.

METHODS

This exploratory, qualitative study involved 19 African refugees from nine countries living in New South Wales, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and recorded using Zoom software. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a bottom-up thematic analytical approach for theme generation.

RESULTS

Four main themes were identified. The themes included: participants' experiences of services as inaccessible and monocultural and providing information in a culturally unsafe and insensitive manner; the impact of the clinical care environment; meeting expectations and needs; and overcoming access challenges and reclaiming power and autonomy through familiar means. The findings generally support four dimensions in the access to health care framework, including approachability, acceptability, availability and accommodation and appropriateness.

CONCLUSION

African refugees experience significant social and cultural challenges in accessing primary health care services. These challenges could be due to a lack of literacy on the part of health services and their providers in servicing the needs of African refugees. This is an important finding that needs to be addressed by the Australian health care system and services. Enhancing organisational health literacy through evidence-informed strategies in primary health systems and services can help reduce disparities in health access and outcomes that may be exacerbated by cultural, linguistic and religious differences.

Occupational Health Literacy Scale development and validation in Italy: a pilot study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to adapt and validate the Occupational Health Literacy Scale (OHLS) for the Italian workforce, assessing its psychometric properties and ensuring its relevance and applicability within this specific cultural setting.

STUDY DESIGN

Validation process by observational and descriptive study.

METHODS

Initially, two members of the research team independently translated the original OHLS into Italian. Subsequent comparisons and syntheses of these translations produced a unified Italian document. To ensure translation accuracy, this document was then retranslated back into English. An expert committee with specialized knowledge in occupational safety and health evaluated the retranslations to finalize the Italian version. This version underwent a preliminary test using a pilot group, followed by anonymous administration to a sample of 398 workers.

RESULTS

The adaptation of the OHLS into Italian demonstrated outstanding psychometric characteristics. The scale exhibited an excellent model fit and strong internal consistency. Furthermore, the factorial structures were congruent with theoretical expectations, underscoring the scale's robust construct validity.

CONCLUSIONS

The Italian version of the OHLS has been validated as a reliable and effective instrument for quantifying occupational health literacy among Italian workers. This tool's demonstrated validity and reliability suggest its potential for broader application in promoting occupational health awareness and interventions within Italian-speaking populations.

Health literacy as mediator between perception of illness and self-medication behaviour among outpatients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: implication to primary healthcare nursing

INTRODUCTION

Perception of illness (PI) and self-medication (SM) have been thoroughly explored in the existing literature. However, there is a lack of understanding about the mediating effect of health literacy on PI and SM in a non-homogenous population like Saudi Arabia. As such, primary healthcare nurses who have constant interaction with the outpatients have difficulty addressing self-medication. This study aimed to investigate health literacy as mediator between PI and SM among outpatients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

METHODS

This study employed a cross-sectional approach and was conducted at 10 major primary healthcare (PHC) clinics serving 30 million individuals in 13 different regions of KSA. The 424 outpatients who participated in this study were selected through convenience sampling. Data collection started in November 2022 and concluded in February 2023.

RESULTS

The mean of the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool, self-medication scale (SMS), and PI scores were 13.01 ± 3.32, 27.46 ± 7.01, and 45.56 ± 7.69, respectively. There was a significant relationship between the age and BRIEF scores (p = 0.039), and the level of education was significantly related to all variables, as were nationality and BRIEF scores (p = 0.001). Finally, occupation was significantly related to BRIEF and SMS scores (p = 0.001 and 0.003, respectively). Completing college and being non-Saudi had positively significant effects on health literacy (p < 0.01). The structural equation model (SEM) found no effect of PI on health literacy or SM behaviour (p = 0.263 and 0.84, respectively), but health literacy did have an effect on SM behaviour (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Health literacy is an important factor in self-medication behavior and that PI is not directly related to health literacy or self-medication behavior, but that health literacy does influence self-medication behavior. Therefore, primary healthcare givers should promote public health literacy alongside the control of other conditions as one of the most effective ways to decrease the prevalence of self-medication and the risks associated with it.

Nurses' perspectives on professional self-concept and its influencing factors: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Nurses with a strong professional self-concept tend to exhibit a positive mindset and strong work engagement, delivering high-quality patient care. Although numerous quantitative studies have examined the factors impacting professional self-concept, there remains a limited exploration of these factors from the perspective of nurses themselves.

METHODS

This qualitative descriptive study uses the PERMA theory and Social Cognitive Theory as the theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 nurses from six public hospitals in China. The data were analyzed thematically using a combination of inductive and deductive approaches.

RESULTS

Nurses' understanding of professional self-concept could be divided into four categories: professional identity, competence, care, and knowledge. Factors influencing nurses' professional self-concept were categorized into eight subthemes in three domains: (1) personal factors, including psychological qualities and attitude towards the nursing profession; (2) occupational-related behavioral factors, including role-oriented behavior and knowledge-oriented behavior; and (3) work environment and external factors, including external evaluation and perceptions of nurses, time allocation, nursing work tasks, work atmosphere, school education, and perceived supports.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that, although nurses had different personal experiences, their perceptions of professional self-concept were similar. Nurses' professional self-concept is a multidimensional concept and involves various factors, such as personality, work-related characteristics, environment, and family. To thrive in a nursing career, nurses must discern the factors that can enhance or hinder their professional self-concept. By identifying and adjusting these factors, personalized support and positive interventions can be tailored to meet nurses' specific needs, which ultimately nurtures their professional development.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study was registered on December 14, 2022, in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200066699) as part of our ongoing study.

The Relationship Between a Healthy People 2030 Health Literacy-Related Objective (HC/HIT02) and Cancer Prevention and Screening Behaviors

Healthy People 2030 highlights the importance of both personal and organizational health literacy (HL) to improving population health. Yet, most research focuses on personal-level HL or fails to study the effect of both types of HL on health behavior. This study explored the relationships between organizational HL (Healthy People 2030 objective: decrease the proportion of adults who report poor communication with their health care provider), personal-level HL, and cancer prevention and screening behaviors. Data were collected using Qualtrics Panel. Participants who indicated they had a non-emergency room provider visit in the last 12 months were included in the analyses. Participants (n=549, Mean age = 41.44 years, SD = 15.91; 51.9% female; 54.3% White, 28.8% Hispanic/Latino/a/x) completed measures of personal and organizational HL and reported on their cancer prevention (e.g., cigarette smoking) and screening (e.g., mammogram) behaviors. Hierarchical linear and logistic regressions predicting cancer prevention and screening behaviors, respectively, from organizational HL, personal HL, and demographic covariates, were estimated. Regarding the results, higher organizational HL was related to higher fruit and vegetables consumption and physical activity after accounting for personal-level HL and demographic covariates. Higher personal-level HL was related to lower physical activity, binge-drinking, and cigarette smoking, and higher odds of pap smear screening, prostate-specific antigen testing, and completing all eligible screenings after accounting for organizational-level HL and demographic covariates. The findings support that personal-level and organizational HL may be differentially important to improving cancer prevention and screening behaviors. Policies that address improving both personal-level and organizational-level HL are needed.

Irritation, General and Pandemic-Related Demands, and the Importance of Workplace Health Promotion in Long-Term Care-Results From a Survey of Managers in Outpatient and Inpatient Long-Term Care Facilities in Germany

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the association between irritation and demands of long-term care managers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the role of workplace health promotion (WHP).

METHODS

Findings were derived from an online survey investigating long-term care managers as part of the employees in the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 207). Data analyses were performed with linear regression and interaction analyses.

RESULTS

For managers in long-term care, there was found a significant positive association between pandemic-related and general demands and irritation. The irritation level was significantly lower among managers in facilities where WHP was offered whereas the association between irritation and demands did not significantly vary by WHP.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of WHP was associated with lower average irritation levels among managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the implementation of WHP can contribute to maintain the well-being of long-term care managers.