A Literature review of Measurement of Health Literacy in India Barve Samir Sumant1, Joshi Sonopant2 1Medical Officer-Research (Community Events), Symbiosis Community Outreach Programme and Extension (SCOPE), Symbiosis International (Deemed University) 2Professor & HOD, Community Health, Symbiosis College of Nursing (SCON), Symbiosis International (Deemed University) Online published on 4 June, 2019. Abstract Introduction WHO defined Health Literacy (HL) as ‘the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health’. There is lack of related research in Low and Middle Income Countries. Objective The study was undertaken to investigate health related aspects and tools used to measure HL in Indian population. novelty/Originality On the background of paucity of research, this review is unique in its kind and depicts latest scenario. Materials and Method Studies mentioning measurement of HL and published from 2014 to 2019 were searched in SCOPUS, PubMed and Google Scholar databases. After excluding those not meeting inclusion criteria; findings of 26 studies were analysed. Results and Discussion Pre-validated HL scales were used in 9 studies; 88.9% of which measured only reading and pronunciation ability related to medical terms. In other 17 studies; self-designed questionnaires were used which were developed from past literature and questionnaires predominantly measuring technical knowledge and disease-related practices of participants. 90% of studies measured HL related to specific medical conditions; 81.4% of which comprised of dental, mental and diabetes disorders. 88% of total studies were cross-sectional in nature and 38.5% were undertaken on patients and their caregivers. Though different types of aspects were measured, low levels of HL were observed. Application The findings will be useful to design action plan for development of conceptual clarity amongst researchers. Conclusion The research on HL in India is still confined to basic skills of reading and pronunciation and related knowledge and practices. Limited use of pre-validated HL measurement scales was evident. There is a need to undertake research representing all populations and scales suitable to Indian context. Top Keywords Health literacy, India, Measurement, Scale. Top |