Public awareness of health issues: an analytical review

The implementation of state healthcare policies in the Republic of Belarus requires readily accessible health information for the population. Such information must meet specific criteria to serve as the foundation for the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for successful interaction with the healthcare system. Terms like “health awareness” and “health literacy” (HL) may be used to characterize this phenomenon. Both terms are used frequently and often employed interchangeably, despite representing distinct concepts. Awareness involves a one-way flow of information and its quantitative assimilation, while literacy can be understood as the feedback on the results of information, and its practical application. Given that differences in understanding are already evident at the definitional level, this ultimately leads to a lack of uniformity in study and assessment approaches.

An analytical review of published literature and online sources, including the Russian Science Citation Index, Springer, World Health Organization (WHO) portal, and other open-access databases, was conducted to substantiate the methodology employed in studying and evaluating health awareness and HL among the population, explore potential advancements in this scientific field, and consider global trends and applications of the findings.

The review shows the economic and social significance of HL of the population and the areas of practical application of the results of its research. The paper analyzes the conceptual apparatus and methodology of studying health awareness and HL, the history of development of the approach unified by the WHO, and the transformation of understanding of various components of HL as a complex phenomenon. Methodologically, HL was found to be a dynamic construct. Approaches to its measurement and assessment vary, and its definition undergoes transformation. Contemporary study methods distinguish between mandatory and optional components. An isolated study of only the mandatory component provides insight into the availability of a specific piece of medical information for a given population; however, it does not account for any subsequent use. Consequently, this component, most frequently referred to as “general HL”, can be defined as health awareness. Analyzing both principal and supplementary components provides a comprehensive view of HL, taking into account national and social contexts. It also allows for extension to digital, organizational, vaccine, and other forms of HL. Despite the WHO’s efforts to unify methodologies, HL studies remain specific to national, cultural, and social contexts. The flexibility of the HL concept allows for incorporating new elements into research tools, which should be designed with practical applicability in mind. The study of population HL is promising from the organizational, medical, and social points of view. The research process itself motivates respondents to engage in health-saving behaviors.