Health literacy in the Capital Region of Denmark: Prevalence and population characteristics

Background

Low health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes and difficulty navigating the healthcare system in both the general population and among individuals with illness. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of low health literacy among persons aged ≥16 years in the Capital Region of Denmark and to describe characteristics of persons with low health literacy.

Methods

Health literacy was assessed in the Danish Capital Region Health Survey 2025, including 41,822 participants from the general population aged ≥16 years (response rate 41.8%). Two scales from the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) were applied: functional health literacy (ability to read and understand health information, e.g. on medicine instructions) and interactive health literacy (ability to engage in dialogs with healthcare professionals and ensure mutual understanding). Characteristics of persons with low health literacy (score≤2.5) were assessed using national registries (socio-demographics). Descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regression models weighted for survey design and non-response were performed.

Results

Overall, 10% of persons aged 16+ years in the Capital Region of Denmark had low functional health literacy, while 19% had low interactive health literacy. Low functional and interactive health literacy were associated with having lower education, non-Western ethnic background, being on long-term sick leave and receiving disability pension. Further, low functional health literacy was most prevalent among women aged 16-24 and 80+ years, while low interactive health literacy was most common among younger ages of both men and women.

Conclusions

Limited functional and particularly interactive health literacy is common in the general population. These findings highlight the importance of improving health literacy – particularly among persons with low education, non-Western background, and those outside the labor market – to reduce health inequalities.

Key messages

• Low health literacy is particularly prevalent among persons with limited social resources.

• Enhancing health literacy among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups may help reduce social inequalities in health.