Understanding health literacy in men: a cross-sectional survey

Background

Males have a shorter life expectancy than females. Men are less likely to seek the advice of a health professional or utilise preventive health services and programs. This study seeks to explore health literacy and the characteristics affecting this among Australian men.

Methods

Four hundred and thirty-one adult males engaged with the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, completed an online cross-sectional survey, undertaken from September – November 2022. The survey tool captured demographic data, health status and lifestyle risk characteristics. Health literacy was measured using the 44-item Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ). Descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations, were used to describe the sample. Interferential statistics, including the Mann-Whitney U Test and the...