The role of health literacy in enhancing preventive healthcare: A comprehensive review of challenges, interventions, and future directions

Abstract

Health literacy is a fundamental aspect of healthcare, influencing an individual’s ability to understand, access, and apply health information to make informed decisions. In preventive healthcare, higher health literacy is crucial for promoting healthy behaviors and improving overall health outcomes. This review explores the multidimensional nature of health literacy, examining its role in disease prevention and its impact on access to preventive services. While individuals with greater health literacy are more likely to engage in preventive behaviors, low health literacy is associated with poor health outcomes, decreased utilization of preventive measures, and increased healthcare costs. The challenges of promoting health literacy are multifaceted, including barriers related to the complexity of health information, cultural and socioeconomic disparities, and inadequate tools for measuring health literacy in specific populations. This review also highlights key interventions and programs designed to enhance health literacy, such as community-based initiatives, educational strategies, and digital health tools.

Keywords: Health literacy, Primary prevention, Community health services