Health Literacy in the Norwegian Population. English Summary. In Befolkningens helsekompetanse, del I. The International Health Literacy Population Survey 2019 – 2021 (HLS19) – et samarbeidsprosjekt med nettverket M-POHL tilknyttet WHO-EHII

Abstract

Norway has for the first time conducted a survey to assess health literacy in a large and representative sample of the population. The results show that a significant proportion of the population faces a variety of challenges in dealing with health information. This has implications for the health of individuals and society's expenditure relating to health. On behalf of the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Directorate of Health has conducted a national survey of the population's health literacy in partnership with Oslo Metropolitan University and Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. The survey forms part of an international collaboration initiated by the WHO-EHII affiliated network Action Network on Measuring Population and Organisational Health Literacy (M-POHL) concerning implementation of the Health Literacy Population Survey 2019–2021 (HLS19). The aim of M-POHL and HLS19 is to provide knowledge to support the differentiated work of government agencies relating to the development of targeted measures to raise the level of health literacy amongst the population, and to adapt the health service to meet the needs of people with different levels of health literacy.