title: The fourth level of health literacy.
abstract: The World Health Organization defines health literacy as cognitive and social skills determining individuals' motivation and ability to receive, understand, and use information in a health-promoting manner. This study discusses health literacy in the light of general upper secondary education students' test answers (N = 611) on the Finnish Matriculation Examination. The data were analyzed based on three levels of health literacy: the basic, communicative, and critical level. Analysis suggests the three existing levels do not fully describe the depth of health literacy. A fourth level was derived, called "holistic health literacy," with the following dimensions: (1) tolerance, (2) understanding culture as wide and multidimensional phenomena, (3) environmental consciousness, and (4) analysis of the state of the world from various points of view. The means of developing the subject of health education are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Lapland, Finland.
authors.forename: Maija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rask
authors.affiliation: University of Lapland, Finland.
authors.forename: Satu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uusiautti
authors.affiliation: University of Lapland, Finland.
authors.forename: Kaarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Määttä
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D005387:Finland; D006266:Health Education / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000145:classification* / Q000592:standards; D006694:Holistic Health / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D012574:Schools