The socioecological framework for health literacy promotion in adult non-formal education: empirical findings and socioecological conceptual framework.
- 1Center for Education, Languages and Social Technologies, Riga Technical University Rezekne Academy, Rezekne, Latvia.
Abstract
Rapid population aging, chronic disease prevalence, and digital information overload highlight health literacy as a critical competence for societal health promotion. This exploratory study aims to analyze theoretical dimensions of health literacy, investigate socio-demographic associations within a convenience sample of adult residents in Latvia recruited online, and synthesize these insights into a conceptual framework for health literacy promotion. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design was implemented in 2025/2026. Quantitative survey data (N = 320) were processed using IBM SPSS, conducting correlation analysis and non-parametric rank comparisons. In the qualitative phase, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with key health and education sector experts (N = 6). Empirical results reveal a moderate positive correlation between information understanding and its practical application (τ = 0.383, p < 0.001), as well as between information accessibility and understanding in the health promotion domain (τ = 0.428, p < 0.001). Marital status was statistically significantly associated with the capacity to critically evaluate health information (H(3) = 10.45, p = 0.015). Reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke) highlighted barriers such as fragmentation in non-formal education, motivation deficits, and misinformation risks, while emphasizing employer engagement and digital health literacy. The proposed conceptual framework offers a hypothesis-generating, multi-level perspective for designing structured health literacy interventions within adult education environments.
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BibTeX
@article{bazileva2026socioecological,
title = {{The socioecological framework for health literacy promotion in adult non-formal education: empirical findings and socioecological conceptual framework.}},
author = {Aleksandra Bazileva and Svetlana Ušča},
journal = {Frontiers in public health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1930078},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42908939},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The socioecological framework for health literacy promotion in adult non-formal education: empirical findings and socioecological conceptual framework.
AU - Aleksandra Bazileva
AU - Svetlana Ušča
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Frontiers in public health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1930078
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42908939
AB - Rapid population aging, chronic disease prevalence, and digital information overload highlight health literacy as a critical competence for societal health promotion. This exploratory study aims to analyze theoretical dimensions of health literacy, investigate socio-demographic associations within a convenience sample of adult residents in Latvia recruited online, and synthesize these insights into a conceptual framework for health literacy promotion. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design was implemented in 2025/2026. Quantitative survey data (N = 320) were processed using IBM SPSS, conducting correlation analysis and non-parametric rank comparisons. In the qualitative phase, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with key health and education sector experts (N = 6). Empirical results reveal a moderate positive correlation between information understanding and its practical application (τ = 0.383, p < 0.001), as well as between information accessibility and understanding in the health promotion domain (τ = 0.428, p < 0.001). Marital status was statistically significantly associated with the capacity to critically evaluate health information (H(3) = 10.45, p = 0.015). Reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke) highlighted barriers such as fragmentation in non-formal education, motivation deficits, and misinformation risks, while emphasizing employer engagement and digital health literacy. The proposed conceptual framework offers a hypothesis-generating, multi-level perspective for designing structured health literacy interventions within adult education environments.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -