Characterization of Health Literacy in US Aircraft Pilots

OBJECTIVE: Assess health literacy among US pilots as a function of pilot characteristics. METHOD: A non-probabilistic sample of 1,031 US pilots completed an online survey of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) that measures nine dimensions of health literacy (e.g., navigating the healthcare system, appraisal of health information, etc.). RESULTS: Unpaid civilian pilots over the age of 60 reported the highest health literacy across all dimensions, whereas paid civilian pilots between the ages of 25-40 reported the lowest health literacy. CONCLUSIONS: Although the exploratory observed group differences were relatively small, they may identify early career civilian pilots as a subgroup of US aviators that could benefit from targeted interventions to bolster health literacy in an attempt to facilitate positive health outcomes.