Table 2.
Item responses for HLS-EU-Q16 items.
| Domain | On a scale from very easy to very difficult, how easy would you say it is to… | Responses | Non-responses* | Mean and SD | “Fairly difficult” or “very difficult” | “Very easy” | “Fairly easy” | “Fairly difficult” | “Very difficult” | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | n (“do not know”) | % (n = 143) | Mean | SD | n | % | % | % | % | % | ||
| HC | Q1. … find information about symptoms of illnesses that concern you? | 131 | 12 (8) | 8.4 (5.6) | 2.8 | 0.70 | 30 | 22.9 | 12.2 | 64.9 | 17.6 | 5.3 |
| HC | Q2. … find out where to get professional help when you are ill? | 141 | 2 (0) | 1.4 (0) | 3.1 | 0.80 | 25 | 17.7 | 28.4 | 53.9 | 12.1 | 5.7 |
| HC | Q3. … understand what a doctor says to you | 142 | 1 (0) | 0.7 (0) | 3.0 | 0.70 | 25 | 17.6 | 23.2 | 59.2 | 14.8 | 2.8 |
| HC | Q4. … understand your doctor’s or pharmacist’s instruction on how to take a prescribed medicine? | 142 | 1 (0) | 0.7 (0) | 3.3 | 0.69 | 13 | 9.2 | 40.1 | 50.7 | 7.0 | 2.1 |
| HC | Q5. … judge if you may need to get a second opinion from another doctor? | 134 | 9 (7) | 6.3 (4.9) | 2.7 | 0.75 | 49 | 36.6 | 13.4 | 50.0 | 32.1 | 4.5 |
| HC | Q6. … use information your doctor gives to you to make decisions about your illness? | 140 | 3 (2) | 2.1 (1.4) | 2.9 | 0.73 | 38 | 27.1 | 16.4 | 56.4 | 23.6 | 3.6 |
| HC | Q7. … act on advice from your doctor or pharmacist? | 140 | 3 (2) | 2.1 (1.4) | 3.3 | 0.66 | 13 | 9.3 | 37.1 | 53.6 | 7.9 | 1.4 |
| DP | Q8. … find information on how to handle mental health problems? | 107 | 36 (28) | 25.2 (19.6) | 2.7 | 0.84 | 48 | 44.9 | 16.8 | 38.3 | 38.3 | 6.5 |
| DP | Q9. … understand information about unhealthy habits such as smoking, low physical activity or drinking too much alcohol? | 134 | 9 (5) | 6.3 (3.5) | 3.5 | 0.57 | 5 | 3.7 | 58.2 | 38.1 | 3.7 | 0.0 |
| DP | Q10. … understand information about recommended health screenings or examinations? | 141 | 2 (1) | 1.4 (0.7) | 3.0 | 0.62 | 8 | 5.7 | 66.7 | 27.7 | 5.0 | 0.7 |
| DP | Q11. … judge if the information on health risks in the mass media is reliable? | 133 | 10 (9) | 7.0 (6.3) | 2.4 | 0.77 | 74 | 55.6 | 6.0 | 38.3 | 44.4 | 11.3 |
| DP | Q12. … decide how you can protect yourself from illness using information from the mass media? | 132 | 11 (9) | 7.7 (6.3) | 2.6 | 0.80 | 66 | 50.0 | 13.6 | 36.4 | 43.9 | 6.1 |
| HP | Q13. … find information about activities that are good for your mental health and well-being? | 129 | 14 (11) | 9.8 (7.7) | 3.0 | 0.69 | 27 | 20.9 | 21.7 | 57.4 | 19.4 | 1.6 |
| HP | Q14. … understand advice concerning your health from family or friends? | 128 | 15 (13) | 10.5 (9.1) | 3.0 | 0.86 | 31 | 24.2 | 26.6 | 49.2 | 16.4 | 7.8 |
| HP | Q15. … understand information in the mass media on how to improve your health? | 129 | 14 (12) | 9.8 (8.4) | 2.8 | 0.76 | 49 | 38.0 | 16.3 | 45.7 | 34.9 | 3.1 |
| HP | Q16. … judge which everyday habits affect your health? | 137 | 6 (4) | 4.2 (2.8) | 3.3 | 0.68 | 17 | 12.4 | 38.0 | 49.6 | 11.7 | 0.7 |
*Non-responses include “do not know” answers and refusals to answer and are calculated based on the overall sample of n=143; HC, Health Care; DP, Disease Prevention; HP, Health Promotion.