Madalena Cunha|Raquel Gaspar|Sónia Fonseca|Dina Almeida|Mónica Silva|Luís Saboga Nunes
Implications of literacy for health for body mass index
Polytechnic Institute of Viseu|Polytechnic Institute of Viseu|Polytechnic Institute of Viseu|Polytechnic Institute of Viseu|Polytechnic Institute of Viseu
literacy health lh may considered set skills people appropriate understand evaluate use information knowledge health make informed choices reduce risks health maintain healthy nutritional status enhance quality life assess level literacy health analyse relationship sociodemographic variables lh classify body mass index bmi determine effect lh bmi quantitative study descriptive crosssectional approach conducted centre north portugal particnipants nonprobabilistic sample 508 portuguese participants mean age 4448 years sd 21 years lh assessed european questionnaire literacy health lhseupt validated portuguese saboganunes sorensen 2013 bmi classification followed reference accepted portugal dgs 2013 found overall 7362 participants inappropriate problematic level literacy health significantly lower women p 000 participants inadequate lh higher bmi 2 7809 p 000 risk suboptimal state health results suggest significant relationship lh bmi found better lh appropriate bmi evidence reinforces importance promoting literacy health portuguese population