Factors Predicting Health Literacy and Factors Associated to it; A Systematic Review

Health literacy includes a range of critical skills that allow individuals to empower themselves to promote health behaviors. This study aimed to review the articles related to health literacy in the last 20 years and explain the factors associated with health literacy or predict it.

This systematic review examined quantitative research articles published from 2002 to 2022 and indexed in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. 887 articles were retrieved, and based on inclusion/exclusion criteria, 55 articles were reviewed.Factors with the most frequent were reported and discussed. The role (prediction or association) was determined based on the highest frequency. The PRISMA 2009 framework was used to conduct a transparent process.

Younger people, white people, females, people with higher education levels, good social status, occupation, especially lifetime main occupations, higher individual income, higher knowledge level, and healthy people had high levels of health literacy. Also, the factors that had a significant relationship with health literacy (predictive or related) were different in patients and healthy people.

Health literacy includes various constructs and is related to different factors (as predictors or associated with health literacy). It may differ based on socio-economic and demographic characteristics in different communities.