• Vaclovas Sveikauskas.
• Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania. vaclov@kmu.lt
• Medicina (Kaunas). 2005 Jan 1;41(12):1061-6.

AbstractHealth education encompasses opportunities for learning designed to improve health literacy, including increased knowledge and the development of life skills that lead to the improvement of individual and community health. Health literacy represents the cognitive and social skills, which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access, to understand and use information in ways, which promote and maintain good health. There are three types of health literacy: basic, functional and critical. Basic health literacy implies a fundamental understanding of health problem and the ability to comply with prescribed actions to remedy the problem. Functional health literacy involves more advanced knowledge and skills to function in everyday society and the ability to seek out information in order to respond to changing needs. The most advanced level of health literacy is critical health literacy. It implies a significant level of knowledge, personal skills and confidence to manage one's health, and the ability to take action to change the determinants of health in the environment. Although these levels of health literacy are widely examined but systematic point of view is missing. The goal of this article is to report the peculiarities of the health literacy education system.

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