The social determinants of men’s health literacy in Australia

Abstract Background Australian men face significant inequities in healthcare access and utilisation, leading to poorer health outcomes. The National Men's Health Strategy 2020-2030 prioritises health literacy interventions to mitigate these inequities and enhance overall men's health. Methods We used data from Wave 4 (2022) of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health to examine the social determinants of men's health literacy. Poisson regression analysis identified factors associated with variations in health literacy. Results Age, employment status, education, private insurance, financial hardship, masculine norms, and geographic region significantly influence men's ability to engage with healthcare providers and access reliable health information. Men aged 25-34 years (AIRR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.92, 0.98), 35-44 years (AIRR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.92, 0.97), and 45-54 years (AIRR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.95, 0.99) had reduced ability to engage with healthcare providers compared to men aged >55 years. Private insurance was associated with higher ability to find good health information (AIRR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.09) and engage with healthcare providers (AIRR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.10). Financial hardship (AIRR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.91, 0.99) and unemployment (AIRR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.92, 0.99) were linked to reduced ability to engage with healthcare providers. Lower education levels were associated with reduced ability to find good health information (AIRR=0.93, 95% CI: 0.91, 0.96) and engage with healthcare providers (AIRR=0.94, 95% CI: 0.92, 0.97). Men living in regional areas had lower ability to find good health information (AIRR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.95, 0.99) and engage with healthcare providers (AIRR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.95, 0.99) compared to those in major cities. Conclusions Social determinants play a crucial role in shaping health literacy among Australian men. Health policies and promotion programs should be tailored to address these determinants to improve health literacy and reduce health inequities. Key messages • Social determinants significantly influence health literacy among Australian men. • Tailored health policies and programs are essential to improve health literacy and reduce inequities.