Research/Report
Author(s): Kristin Skowranek, Hamburg University; Klaus Buddeberg, Hamburg University; Karola Cafantaris, Hamburg University; Lisanne Heilmann, Bremen University
A link between literacy and health has already been demonstrated in various national and international surveys. Previous research has shown that adults with low literacy are very frequent users of social media. Increasingly, people are gaining their health-related knowledge and skills by being in digital spaces and consuming health-related content across platforms. In this article, we explored the relationship between digital health practices and the health of people with low literacy skills using data from the German-based LEO assessment. We found that low literacy skills do not have a strong direct effect on health status, but social vulnerability, such as low social participation and low social recognition, has a strong effect on a person’s subjectively perceived health status.