Communicative health literacy and associated variables in nine European countries: results from the HLS survey.

Our study aimed to report on variables associated with communicative health literacy (COM-HL) in European adults. The HLS survey was conducted in 2019-2021 including nine countries which measured COM-HL by using a validated questionnaire (HLS-COM-P-Q6 with a score ranging from 0 to 100). Linear regression models were used to study variables associated with COM-HL globally (multilevel model with random intercepts and slopes and at country level) and in each country.

Exploring the Inherent Heterogeneity of Vaccine Hesitancy: A Study of a Childhood-Vaccine-Hesitant Population.

Vaccine hesitancy and its determinants have been previously widely researched. Vaccine hesitancy has been defined as a continuum of attitudes, ranging from accepting vaccines with doubts to rejecting them. The present study aims to explore the heterogeneity of a childhood-vaccine-hesitant group by using a person-oriented approach-latent profile analysis.

Is Trust in Information Sources Associated with Drug Use? A Population-Based Study.

Aim: Communication and information sources can play an important role when addressing drug use. The aim of this study is to assess the association of different levels of trust in information sources regarding drug use within different population groups.

Methods: Data was gathered using a mixed methods approach, with an online survey and interviews.

Psychological Well-Being and Resilience of Slovenian Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: Students' mental health is recognised as an important public health issue, and the strict measures and many changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated this. The aims of the study were thus to explore psychological well-being among university students in Slovenia during the beginning of the second lockdown, and to assess associations among their psychological well-being, demographic characteristics, presence of a chronic health condition, and resilience.

Methods: The Slovenian online cross-sectional survey was performed as part of a large-scale international survey led by the COVID-HL Consortium, between the 2nd and 23rd November 2020.

The influence of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 on vaccination hesitancy among postsecondary students.

The aim of the present study was to explore the influence of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 on vaccination hesitancy among Slovenian postsecondary students. A cross-sectional study using a set of previously tested instruments and ad hoc questions created by the authors was chosen as the method to gain insight into various health and sociodemographic aspects of Slovenian postsecondary students affected by the COVID-19-induced closures and suspensions of educational activities at tertiary educational institutions (N = 5999). Overall, 39.

Measuring Comprehensive, General Health Literacy in the General Adult Population: The Development and Validation of the HLS-Q12 Instrument in Seventeen Countries.

Background: For improving health literacy (HL) by national and international public health policy, measuring population HL by a comprehensive instrument is needed. A short instrument, the HLS-Q12 based on the HLS-EU-Q47, was developed, translated, applied, and validated in 17 countries in the WHO European Region.

Methods: For factorial validity/dimensionality, Cronbach alphas, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Rasch model (RM), and Partial Credit Model (PCM) were used.

HLS-NAV-Validation of a New Instrument Measuring Navigational Health Literacy in Eight European Countries.

To manoeuvre a complex and fragmented health care system, people need sufficient navigational health literacy (NAV-HL). The objective of this study was to validate the HLS-NAV measurement scale applied in the European Health Literacy Population Survey 2019-2021 (HLS). From December 2019 to January 2021, data on NAV-HL was collected in eight European countries.

Compliance with Preventive Measures and COVID-19 Vaccination Intention among Medical and Other Healthcare Students.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to evaluate compliance with preventive measures and COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among Slovenian students of healthcare and medicine, identify the predictive socio-demographic factors, establish the possible causes, and propose vaccination strategies and programs in response to the findings.

Methods: Data were collected using an online survey as part of a large cross-sectional study of full-time students engaged in higher-level study. The survey took place between 9 February and 8 March 2021.

The HLS-COM-P, a New Instrument for Measuring Communicative Health Literacy in Interaction with Physicians: Development and Validation in Nine European Countries.

Background: Sufficient communicative health literacy (COM-HL) is important for patients actively participating in dialogue with physicians, expressing their needs and desires for treatment, and asking clarifying questions. There is a lack of instruments combining communication and HL proficiency. Hence, the aim was to establish an instrument with sufficient psychometric properties for measuring COM-HL.

Facing the Growing COVID-19 Infodemic: Digital Health Literacy and Information-Seeking Behaviour of University Students in Slovenia.

The entire world is faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, which is also accompanied by an infodemic. This refers to the rapid spread of (accurate and false) information, mainly through internet usage increasing. Digital health literacy (DHL) is therefore important for addressing challenges related to online health information and services, as well as for navigation through the complex information landscape with huge amounts of different (and conflicting) information about COVID-19.

European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD): any impact on antibiotic consumption and public awareness in Slovenia?

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) on antibiotic consumption, improvements in general public awareness and antibiotic resistance in Slovenia.

Methods: Outpatient data for the period from 2002 to 2016 and hospital antibiotic consumption data for 2004-16 were collected using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification/DDDs. Outpatient antibiotic consumption data were expressed in DDDs/1000 inhabitants/day (DIDs), number of packages/1000 inhabitant-days and number of prescriptions/1000 inhabitants/year.

The growing vaccine hesitancy: exploring the influence of the internet.

Background: Vaccination coverage is dropping in several countries, including Slovenia. More and more people hesitate or even reject vaccinations. As the influence of the internet grows, the question becomes how to communicate about vaccination to parents in order to prevent this drop in vaccination coverage among children.