Health literacy of the adult population in Germany – Results from a representative panel survey

Abstract Background Health literacy (HL) studies over the last decades have shown that, for a considerable share of the population in many European countries, it is not always easy to access, understand, appraise, and apply health related information. In Germany, results have been particularly negative in comparison with other European countries. As the last nation-wide survey dates back to 2020, this study aims to provide more recent evidence on the state of HL. Methods In 2024, we collected representative data from adults in Germany through an online panel survey. Among others, HL, measured as the perceived difficulty of dealing with health-related information (HLS19-Q12), well-being (WHO-5), and self-reported health status (single item) were assessed. Descriptive statistics, such as average-percentage response patterns and linear regression analysis were conducted. Results The sample (n = 2007) was representative in terms of age, gender, and living area. Across the 12 scenarios related to dealing with health-related information, 36,7% of responses were very or rather difficult, while the rest were considered very or rather easy. The most difficult aspects were “judging advantages and disadvantages of treatment options” (67% difficult) and “finding information on how to handle mental health problems” (55%). Regression analysis shows that HL is significantly worse for men than women (β =-.061, p <.05), and for people experiencing chronic illness (β =-.060, p <.05), while it increases with age (β=.114, p <.001). Conclusions The top three most difficult aspects, as well as the overall HL score are consistent with the findings from a previous European study with 16 other countries. Comparing our results to the ones of the international study, Germany still has one of the worse scores. Public health interventions in Germany need to consider the aspects that people find most difficult and support citizens in weighing their treatment options, as well as in handling mental health problems. Key messages • 36.7 of tasks related to managing health information were rated as being difficult. • Younger people, men, and those chronically ill find it more difficult to do so.