Abstract
Aim
Health literacy is a potential factor contributing to health disparities in migrant groups. This exploratory work sought to investigate the validity of the health literacy questionnaire (HLQ) in exploring the health literacy needs of migrant people in a vulnerable borough of Montpellier, France.
Subjects and methods
The multidimensional HLQ was administered, together with cognitive interviews, to 17 persons with varying French language skills benefiting from a community health education program.
Results
The great majority of HLQ items were understood as intended in this sample, with markedly heterogenous health literacy profiles. Participants with the lowest education found some words or concepts difficult to understand, but the endorsed response options were consistent with their narrative during qualitative interviews.
Conclusion
This study adds to the growing body of evidence ensuring the cross-cultural validity of the HLQ lying on culturally generic translated item concepts. This is of importance for the exploration of both health literacy strengths and weaknesses, which provides critical insights into potentially relevant responsiveness to the needs of vulnerable persons experiencing the complex challenges of migration.
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Data availability
Not applicable. Qualitative data constituted by transcript of interviews with health professionals are subject to confidentiality and highly sensitive. If needed, and on reasonable request, it is possible to obtain an anonymous dataset from questionnaires.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the participants, and staff of the DREAM association, and the Programme Solidarité Diabète, Montpellier.
Authors’ contribution
All authors contributed substantially to this work. Conception and design were performed by Maryvette Balcou-Debussche, Catherine Corbeau, and Xavier Debussche. Material preparation and data collection were performed by Jessica Caroupin-Soupoutevin, Catherine Corbeau, Michèle Fassier, Catherine Boegner, data analysis by Jessica Caroupin-Soupoutevin, Delphine Ballet, Maryvette Balcou-Debussche and Xavier Debussche, in conjunction with Melanie Hawkins and Richard H Osborne. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Xavier Debussche. Melanie Hawkins and Richard H Osborne critically and substantially revised the manuscript, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Funding
This work has benefited from funding from Santé Publique France in 2015 as part of the Solidarité Diabète programme. The Solidarité Diabète programme has also received funding from the Languedoc-Roussillon Regional Health Agency (ARS) for the implementation of the therapeutic education programme. Richard Osborne was funded in part through a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia Principal Research Fellowship #APP1155125.
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The study was approved by the institutional review board of Hôpital Saint-Eloi, Montpellier (Comité de Protection des Personnes Sud-Méditerannée IV, CPP 2015-12-04, 30 November 2015).
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Debussche, X., Caroupin-Soupoutevin, J., Balcou-Debussche, M. et al. Health literacy needs among migrant populations in France: validity testing and potential contribution of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ). J Public Health (Berl.) 30, 2301–2309 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-020-01423-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-020-01423-8