Table 3.
Factor structure of the Swiss Health Literacy Survey – all non‐patient items in one model
| Item and content | Factor loadings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Original competence | Item | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 |
| Q3 | Access to information about health | Having enough information to choose treatment | 0.49 | 0.03 | −0.01 | 0.03 |
| Q5 | Access to information about health services | Having enough information to choose gp | 0.54 | −0.04 | 0.12 | 0.04 |
| Q6 | Access to information about health services | Having enough information to choose hospital | 0.49 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Q7 | Access to information about health services | Having enough information to choose sick fund | 0.49 | −0.01 | 0.04 | −0.01 |
| Q13 | Seeking health information | Understanding information on food labels | 0.37 | −0.01 | −0.07 | −0.02 |
| Q28 | Scientific literacy | Knowledge about science and technology | 0.36 | 0.12 | −0.22 | −0.09 |
| Q48 | Critical decision‐making | Choosing a sick fund | 0.52 | 0.00 | 0.05 | −0.04 |
| Q49 | Critical decision‐making | Choosing a gp | 0.53 | −0.03 | 0.07 | −0.08 |
| Q50 | Critical decision‐making | Choosing a medication | 0.75 | −0.10 | −0.09 | 0.10 |
| Q51 | Critical decision‐making | Choosing a medical treatment | 0.67 | −0.11 | −0.09 | 0.09 |
| Q52 | Critical decision‐making | Choosing foods | 0.35 | 0.13 | 0.07 | 0.07 |
| Q60 | Address social determinants of health | Knowledge of patients’ rights | 0.67 | 0.04 | 0.04 | −0.07 |
| Q61 | Consumer competencies | Knowledge of consumer rights | 0.60 | −0.03 | −0.03 | −0.14 |
| Q29 | General life skills | Reading | −0.10 | 0.79 | 0.00 | 0.16 |
| Q31 | General life skills | Numeracy | 0.01 | 0.65 | −0.01 | −0.04 |
| Q35 | General life skills | Communication skills | −0.01 | 0.70 | −0.07 | 0.03 |
| Q36 | General life skills | Problem‐solving | 0.07 | 0.65 | −0.07 | 0.01 |
| Q37 | General life skills | Cross‐cultural skills | 0.00 | 0.58 | 0.06 | 0.07 |
| Q38 | General life skills | Team work | 0.01 | 0.64 | 0.11 | 0.00 |
| Q39 | General life skills | Learning new things | 0.06 | 0.61 | −0.25 | −0.02 |
| Q30 | General life skills | Writing | −0.07 | 0.84 | −0.01 | 0.16 |
| Q32 | General life skills | ICT skills – computer | −0.09 | 0.40 | −0.81 | −0.17 |
| Q33 | General life skills | ICT skills – Internet | −0.12 | 0.39 | −0.86 | −0.19 |
| Q34 | General life skills | Technical skills | 0.03 | 0.47 | −0.52 | −0.13 |
| Q18 | Ability to understand health information | Understanding information on the Internet | 0.11 | −0.03 | −0.77 | 0.07 |
| Q95 | Healthcare utilization | Avoid a gp visit by using the Internet | 0.13 | −0.09 | −0.61 | 0.30 |
| Q11 | Seeking health information | Internet a good source of information about health | 0.05 | −0.06 | −0.88 | 0.12 |
| Q8 | Seeking health information | Seeking health information to avoid gp visit | −0.04 | −0.12 | −0.25 | 0.43 |
| Q9 | Seeking health information | Seeking health information to prepare for gp visit | 0.04 | −0.06 | −0.33 | 0.58 |
| Q10 | Seeking health information | Seeking additional information after gp visit | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.26 | 0.52 |
| Q12 | Seeking health information | information seeking on food labels | 0.02 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.44 |
| Q14 | Seeking health information | Information seeking on PIL | 0.01 | 0.19 | 0.14 | 0.43 |
| Q93 | Informal care | Avoid a gp visit by treating at home | −0.10 | −0.06 | −0.21 | 0.53 |
| Q92 | Informal care | Avoid a gp visit by waiting it out | −0.14 | −0.03 | −0.14 | 0.54 |
| Q109 | Healthy lifestyle | Health consciousness | 0.08 | 0.18 | 0.14 | 0.39 |
| Q110 | Healthy lifestyle | Activities to maintain health | 0.00 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.35 |
| Q113 | Nutrition and diet | Eating healthy | 0.13 | 0.23 | 0.29 | 0.50 |
| Q127 | Identify personal preferences | Interest in more self‐care for minor ailments | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.06 | 0.39 |