Health literacy among first-generation Italian immigrants in Norway

Background People with an immigration background often have poorer health than the general population. Italians in Norway have tripled throughout the past 15-years, but little is known about their health. Health literacy (HL) has been emerging as a fundamental construct in enabling citizens to play an active role in improving their own and theirs community's health. The objective of our study was i) to describe HL among first-generation Italian immigrants in Norway, ii) examine the association between HL and health-related empowerment, and iii) compare HL in Italian immigrants with the general Norwegian population's. Methods The data was retrieved from a cross-sectional survey (n = 321) conducted within the study Mens Sana in Corpore Sano (inclusion criteria: age ≥18 years, living in Norway permanently, having lived in Italy at least until age 16). HL was measured using the short form of the European Health literacy survey questionnaire (HLS-Q12; α = 0.83). Empowerment was assessed using a 4-items scale (α = 0.73), developed on basis the World Health Organization's definition of individual empowerment and aspects of patient empowerment. Additionally, information about gender, age, educational level, and self-rated health was collected. Results Preliminary results indicated that 8% had inadequate HL, whereas about 40% had marginal HL. No significant differences in HL were observed in relation to gender, age, education level or general health. A medium correlation was found between HL and empowerment (r = 0.42, p