HEALTH LITERACY AND ACHIEVEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN UKRAINE

Abstract

Health literacy is one of the key determinants of health. The effectiveness of life-sustaining and health-enhancing strategies depends directly on the level of literacy among the general public and the government and public health professionals in particular. Implementation of one of the most important Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ukraine - Goal 3 “Good health and Well-being” is impossible without achieving a higher level of health literacy. The purpose of the article was to identify, on the basis of international approaches to health literacy assessment, the role of increasing its level in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Ukraine; to characterize, according to the results of a sociological survey, the level of health literacy of Ukrainian doctors on the example of health management specialists. Potential contribution of improving health literacy in the implementation of healthrelated tasks in the SDGs in Ukraine has been identified. The scientific novelty is to identify the potential contribution of improving health literacy to the implementation of health-related tasks in achieving the SDG sin Ukraine. For the first time, the level of health literacy of physicians-specialists in health management was evaluated. The content analysis method was used (to examine current views on the role of health literacy in the achievement of the SDG and approaches to assessing it) and the sociological method (formalized interview (followed by group discussion). The extremely important role of health literacy was identified for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Ukraine, illustrating the potential contribution of increasing the level of health literacy of the Ukrainian population in the implementation of health-related targets by detailing a number of Sustainable Development Goals. The sociological survey was conducted in the 2018-2019 academic year among physicians-specialists in health management at the Shupyk National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education. The survey was conducted using the special health literacy assessment tool (The European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire, HLS_EU_Q47). The respondents ‘assessment of respondents’ perceptions of health problems was analyzed. It is shown that, given the overall awareness, there are specific problems, first of all, in the area of applying one’s own knowledge and skills. The most challenging issues were health promotion activities (place of work and residence, community and country, impact on living conditions that affect health and well-being, political change), with difficulties found in all positions: from finding information to practical activities. Respondents’ lack of ability to think critically, difficulties in choosing their own judgments in the presence of different authoritative opinions on a particular issue were revealed. The role of the leader for the health sector in cross-sectoral activities to improve health literacy has been substantiated. The need for continued sociological research on the HLS_EU_Q47 questionnaire in a representative sample of the Ukrainian population is substantiated, followed by comparative analysis with results in other countries.

References:

1. Sorensen, K., & Brand, H. (2014). Health literacy lost in translations? Introducing the European Health Literacy Glossary Health Promotion International, 29 (4); 634-644. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dat013
2. Nutbeam, D. (2000). Health literacy as a public health goal: a challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st century. Health Promotion International, Vol. 15, Is. 3, 1, 259-267. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/15.3.259
3. Non-pharmaceutical public health measures for mitigating the risk and impact of epidemic and pandemic influenza; 2019.
4. Shanghai Declaration on promoting health in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/9gchp/ shanghai-declaration/en/
5. Zheng, M., Jin, H., Shi, N., Duan, C., Wang, D., Yu, X., & Li, X. (2018).There lation ship between health literacy and quality of life: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Qual Life Outcomes, 16, 201. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-018-1031-7
6. Michou, M.,Panagiotakos, D.B., Lionis, Ch., Petelos, E., & Costarelli, V. (2019). Health and nutrition literacy levels in Greek adults with chronic disease. Public Health Panorama, Vol. 5, Is.2-3,271-279.
7. Maslennikova, G.YA.,Oganov, R.G. Health literacy of the population as a basis for health promotion and non-communicable diseases prevention and control https://doi.org/ 10.17116/profmed2018210515
8. Eichler, K. et al. (2009). The costs of limited health literacy: a systematic review. Intern. Journal of Public Health, 54, 313-324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-0058-2
9. World health statistics 2018: monitoring health for the SDGs, sustainable development goals (2018). Geneva: WHO. Retrieved from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/ 272596/9789241565585-eng.pdf/
10. World Health Statistics 2017. (2017). Geneva: WHO. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/ gho/publications/world_health_statistics/2017/en/
11. Health in SDGs. Policy brief 4: Health literacy, 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion. Shanghai, WHO, 2016 Retrieved from https://www.who.int/healthpromotion/ conferences/9gchp/policy-brief4-health-literacy.pdf?ua=1
12. Early years, family and education task group: report European review of social determinants of health and the health divide in the WHO European Region (2013). Copenhagen: WHO.
13. Healthy, prosperous lives for all: The European Health Equity Status Report (2019). Retrieved from http://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/abstracts/health-equity-status-report-2019
14. Sustainable Development Goals: Ukraine. National report (2017). Kiyiv: Ministerstvo ekonomichnogo rozvitku i torgivli Ukrayini, PROON.
15. Ryngach, N.A., Ogay, M.Y., & Gavrilova, V.V. (2017). Sources of Information on the Healthy Lifestyle, Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: supply, selection criteria, population truth. Statistics of Ukraine, 4, 70-78. https://doi.org/10.31767/su.2(77).2017.02.10
16. Approval of the National Plan of Action for Non-Infectious Diseases to Achieve Global Sustainable Development Goals (2018).Government courier, 144.