How Polish Smokers Quit: An Examination of Relationships Between Health Literacy and Health Information Seeking Behaviors

Introduction. Tobacco is the leading cause of death in Poland accounting for 25.3% of deaths – the third highest rate in the European Union. Another prominent cause of health problems among Pols is limited health literacy, which serve as a barrier for smoking cessation. Past research demonstrates an association between low health literacy and inadequate health information-seeking behaviors (HISB). Considering the global tobacco epidemic, it is important to focus on how smokers who intend to quit utilize cessation resources. This descriptive correlational research attempts to build a global understanding of the relationships between HISB, health literacy and interest to quit smoking among smokers in Poland.

RQ1) Is there a significant difference in health literacy scores between smokers who are interested in quitting smoking and those who are not in the next 12 months?  

RQ2) Is there a significant difference in health literacy scores between smokers who are interested in quitting smoking in various time frames?

RQ3) Is there a significant difference in HISB between smokers who have adequate health literacy and those who do not?

Methods.Adults in Wroclaw, Poland were randomly selected for the surveys (n = 144). Respondents ranged from 18 to 74 years old. Fifty-two respondents were current smokers. We measured health literacy using a 3-item measure. Interest in quitting smoking and HISB were measured by single items. Nonparametric linearity tests were conducted.  

Results. RQ 1: There is a significant difference in health literacy scores between smokers who are interested in quitting and those who are not in the next 12 months (p = .004). RQ 2: There is a significant difference in health literacy scores between smokers who are interested in quitting in various time frames not (p = .034). RQ 3: There are no significant differences in HISB between smokers based on health literacy (p = .979).

Conclusion. As Poland seeks to reduce its number of deaths related to tobacco, understanding health literacy and HISB provides data for development, dissemination, and focus on smoking cessation. Findings contribute insight about how health literacy is associated with HISB among Polish smokers, and provide a foundation for future research examining relationships among health literacy, HISB and readiness for change for smoking cessation as a global health initiative. By understanding HISB among smokers, practitioners can develop effective strategies for health promotion.