Health Literacy and Adult Health Education

This book deals with complex issues of health, health models, and health determinants. It deals with various factors that affect health, its level, and, thus, the quality of life. It points to the significance of economic and social conditions on an individual's physical and psychological health. It draws attention to the importance of prevention and health promotion, especially through education. It describes and critically evaluates the current demographic situation and the health status of the population in Slovakia, as well as possible measures in the framework of health protection and promotion. Health literacy is the key determinant of health. Health literacy is a necessary prerequisite for people's behavior as it contributes to maintaining health. It represents the individual's disposition to acquire, process, and understand basic health and health services information. Based on this information, people model their knowledge, skills, and attitudes, which they are also able to apply adequately in specific everyday situations in the care and support of their health. Based on the results of empirical research, the authors evaluated the level of health literacy of individual age groups of the adult population in Slovakia. They defined the essence and content of education and training, formal, non-formal, and informal learning about health to increase health literacy.