Background:

Health literacy (HL) refers to an individual’s ability to access, understand, and use information to make the best choices for maintaining and improving their health.

Objective:

To characterize the HL levels of patients admitted to a surgical oncology department and examine the association between HL levels and social characteristics.

Methodology:

This observational, cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study included a sample of 188 patients admitted to a surgical oncology department between May and September 2020. Data were collected using a form for social characterization and HL assessment.

Results:

On average, participants had a problematic HL level. HL levels were influenced by factors such as age, gender, educational attainment, and self-perceived economic status.

Conclusion:

This study contributes to a better understanding of the determinants influencing HL and highlights the need for further research in this area to inform health policies and decision-making.

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