Article
Do Internet usage and education play a role in health inequalities? A study of the Spanish population aged 50-79
-
1In Spain, high-educated groups tend to report better health (66% of women and 75% of men report good health) than their low-educated counterparts (50% of women and 62% of men report good health).
-
2Health literacy refers to the ability of individuals to meet and understand complex demands for promoting and maintaining health. It is related positively to health outcomes in women, but not in men.
-
3The group reporting worse health was that of women with low education and “inadequate” levels of health literacy (47%).
-
4Internet usage was found to be positively associated with good health in both men and women, but the association seems stronger among the low-educated groups.
-
5Internet usage and health literacy are associated with educational differences in health. Improving the population’s health literacy, educating all social groups and providing them with access to the Internet could contribute to reducing health inequalities.
