Motivational readiness for physical activity and health literacy: results of a cross-sectional survey of the adult population in Germany

Abstract

Background: Health literacy, defined as the knowledge, motivation, and competences to use health information to improve health and well-being, is associated with regular physical activity. However, there is limited evidence on whether health literacy is also related to the motivational readiness for physical activity in a general population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether motivational readiness for leisure-time physical activity is associated with health literacy.

Methods: Analyses were based on data of 21,895 adults from the cross-sectional German Health Update and European Health Interview Survey 2014/2015 (GEDA 2014/2015-EHIS). Motivational readiness for leisure-time physical activity was assessed with stages of change for physical activity with a set of validated items. It was then classified, according to an established algorithm, into five stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Health literacy was measured with the short form of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) and categorised as low, medium, and high. For bivariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses, the stages were categorised in three phases as: (1) no intention (precontemplation), (2) planning (contemplation or preparation), and (3) in activity (action or maintenance). The models were adjusted for sex, age, education, health consciousness, self-efficacy, and self-perceived general health status.

Results: High compared to low health literacy was associated with a 1.65-times (95% CI = 1.39-1.96) greater probability of being in activity than planning. High compared to low health literacy was associated with a reduced risk of having no intention to change physical activity behaviour (relative risk ratio, RRR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.75-0.95). The associations persisted after adjusting for covariates.

Conclusion: High health literacy was positively associated with more advanced phases of motivational readiness for leisure-time physical activity. Therefore, taking health literacy into account in interventions to promote motivational readiness for leisure-time physical activity could be a useful approach.

Keywords: Cross-sectional study; German Health Update; Health behaviour change; Health literacy; Health promotion; Motivational readiness; Physical activity; Prevention; Stages of change; Transtheoretical model.