Anna-Mari Summanen|Juhani Rautopuro|Lasse Kannas|Leena Paakkari
Objective health literacy skills among ninth graders in Finland: outcomes from a national learning assessment
University of Jyväskylä|Research Institute of the Finnish Economy|University of Jyväskylä|University of Jyväskylä|University of Jyväskylä
health literacy hl important determinant maintaining improving health throughout lifespan underlines need monitor hl including among adolescents understand factors explaining hl view decreasing differences hl aim study objectively measure hl relationship hl sociodemographic factors gender language instruction pupils educational aspirations parents educational background pupils school achievement among pupils n 3652 end basic education finlanda nationally representative assessment included 55 items hl conducted traditional paperandpencil test schools data analysed via descriptive statistics twolevel hierarchical linear model determine sociodemographic factors affected hlthe pupils average score hl test items 589 indicating satisfactory hl level twolevel hierarchical linear model showed variables gender language instruction pupils educational aspirations parents educational background pupils school achievement predicting hl level statistically significant effectsamong ninth graders 1516 years old almost one third boys 8 girls exhibited unsatisfactory hl level study also confirmed importance schoolrelated factors explaining hl differences since low hl linked several unfavourable health indicators viewed underestimated problem times pandemic health crises findings suggest hl level finnish ninth graders clear publichealth issue