Results from Year 1 of the Health Promotion and Literacy Longitudinal Study.
©Jilson Tiu/IDinsight
The Health Promotion and Literacy Study (HPLS) is a five-year collaboration with the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) that tracks nationally representative data on health literacy and healthy behaviors across seven critical pillars: diet and physical activity, environmental health, immunization, substance use, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and violence and injury prevention. The goal of the study is to fill data and evidence gaps for frequent data on health literacy and healthy behaviors that DOH can use to adapt programs and policies towards 2030 health targets.
Following the first year of data collection in 2023 (comprising two separate rounds), the results present an informative picture of Filipinos’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors around key health topics. These insights are being used to inform evidence-based policies and interventions by the Department of Health’s Health Promotion Bureau (DOH-HPB).
This blog post provides an overview of the study and what we’ve learned so far about health promotion and healthy behaviors in the Philippines.
Health literacy refers to an individual’s ability to access, understand, appraise, and use information and services in ways that promote and maintain good health and well-being (WHO, 2024). Measuring health literacy across populations is crucial for addressing public health needs and guiding effective interventions. Regular assessments of health literacy can be used to inform health promotion policies, improve health education programs, and enhance healthcare provider training to better address community needs.
HPLS includes two measurement approaches for measuring health literacy and has identified key gaps needing attention:
HPLS collects key data points related to health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Filipino adults, providing vital information on how, on average, people think and act across health topics. Below is a summary of the key findings for each survey pillar.
For more information, see our policy briefs here and here.
For more information, see our policy brief here.
In the remaining four years of HPLS (Year 2-5), our surveys will regularly track many of these data points to assess changes over time, as well as conduct several deep dives on specific pillars to inform time-sensitive and decision-relevant policy discussions. With ongoing rounds of data collection and capacity-building efforts for local health officials, the study is supporting evidence-based policymaking and laying the foundation for a healthier Philippines.
Updates and results from the next phases of the HPLS project will be published periodically.
For more information on how our data is being used, see here.
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HPLS is powered by IDinsight’s DataDelta. DataDelta deploys sampling innovations, highly-trained data collection teams, and custom-built software to provide decision-makers with top-quality survey data at scale when they need it.
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We collaborate with government leaders to develop and roll out data-driven policy solutions aligned with their priorities and within their budgets.
IDinsight's partners with the Philippines Department of Health to conduct a 5-year study to monitor the health literacy of Filipino adults.
10 August 2021
30 November 2019
24 April 2020