What the Data Say: The Utility of Better Health Literacy During And Beyond COVID-19
Objective: The aim of this paper was to identify the reported need for health literacy related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored the role of health literacy in people's understanding and acceptance of scientific evidence and digital information during the COVID-19 infodemic
and beyond. Methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines to guide our scoping review and synthesize relevant sources of literature related to health literacy and COVID-19. PRISMA guidelines helped to identify inclusion/exclusion criteria to assess time period and quality sources from academic
papers. Results: A total of 397 articles were screened, with 44 articles meeting criteria. We identified the necessity of health-literate individuals and data through examples of "information pollution" contributing to the infodemic. We reflected on some key COVID-19 lessons learned,
sharing examples and approaches using a health literacy lens in our public health response within our digital landscape. Conclusions: This review highlights the need to enhance health literacy skills among individuals, organizations, and governments to empower citizens and communities
by bridging the digital health information gap among scientists, public health officials, and the public. More work is needed for effective health literacy capacity building to navigate science, enhance accurate online health communication, and minimize controversies for future public health
crises.
Keywords: COVID-19; HEALTH COMMUNICATION; HEALTH EDUCATION; HEALTH LITERACY; INFODEMIC; MISINFORMATION
Document Type: Review Article
Affiliations: 1: College of Health and Human Services, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, United States 2: Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
Publication date: 01 March 2023
This article was made available online on 29 May 2023 as a Fast Track article with title: "What the Data Say: The Utility of Better Health Literacy during and beyond COVID-19".
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