Background: Critical health literacy is the least explored domain of health literacy and is addressed by few projects seeking to build health literacy. Lack of research means there is little evidence upon which to design effective interventions. Yet critical health literacy offers potential for individuals and communities to make important contributions to their own and society’s health. This paper reports on an evaluation of a community project designed to develop critical health literacy. Method: The evaluation explored, (a) processes used to build critical health literacy and (b) the impact on the critical health literacy of participants. A mixed methods approach was used combining a pre-and post-intervention assessment of 14 of the 24 participants using the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale, with participant focus groups and facilitator interviews. Results: Strategies used to build critical health literacy included informal and participatory learning, supported and independent assessment of the problem, appraising information, familiarisation of health systems and services, and social support. Common to these was learning within the context of participants’ lives. Fewer strategies encouraged empowerment and political action. The evaluation showed slight improvements in some critical health literacy competencies: the ability to critically appraise health information and apply it to the context of their own lives and being able to critically question health professionals based on an individual’s own research. However, there was no change in participants’ ability to understand the determinants of health or involvement in activities for social and political change. Conclusion: Informal, participatory community projects can successfully build many characteristics of critical health literacy. However, the political action element of critical health literacy remains the least well understood and faces particular challenges in its implementation.

Background: This study investigates university students’ digital health literacy and web-based information-seeking behaviours during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in England. It compares undergraduate and postgraduate students in non-health related subjects with health care students, many of whom were preparing for, or working in, frontline roles. The survey was conducted as part of a wider study by the COVID-HL research consortium. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among n = 691 university students aged ≥18 years from 25 universities across England using an adapted digital survey developed by COVID-HL. Data were collected regarding sociodemographic characteristics and specific measures drawn from the Future Anxiety Scale and the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI). These had been adapted for use in an English setting and to the specific context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other data collected included students’ anxiety or worries about the future using the Dark Future Scale as well as behaviours in online information-seeking. Data were analysed using correlations to test for relationships between constructs and also between group comparisons to test for differences between students studying health and non-health related subjects. Results: Across digital health literacy dimensions, there was no significant difference between students studying health-related subjects and other students. Health care students did report greater difficulties in relation to how to behave online. They also relied less on public body sources for information about the pandemic. A significant difference was found between the two student populations in relation to their anxiety about the future with health care students reporting fewer fears about the future. Conclusions: Although digital health literacy is well developed in university students, a significant proportion of students still face difficulties with evaluating online information which may frustrate public health efforts. This could be addressed by ensuring health students’ curriculum in particular encompasses digital health literacy.

Effecting policy change is a key strategy in tackling wider determinants of health. In England, public health sits within Local Authorities (LAs) and responsibility for ensuring health is considered across directorates increasingly falls to public health practitioners. While international professional standards expect competence in understanding policy processes, the advocacy role has been under-explored. This paper explores the professional skills, role characteristics and learning needs of practitioners advocating for the restriction of advertising high-fat, salt and sugar products in a region of England. A series of three interviews were conducted at three time points over 10 months with policy advocates leading this policy change from four LAs. Three focus groups were also held with 12 public health advocates from 10 LAs at the end of the 10-month period of data collection. Data were transcribed and analysed retroductively. Data showed that practitioners felt inexperienced as policy advocates and saw this work as different from other public health approaches. Successful advocates required interpersonal skills, knowledge of policy-making and local governance, determination, resilience, confidence, belief in their work’s value and leadership. These skills were difficult to acquire through formal education, but advocacy training, mentorship and role modelling were seen as important for professional development. To successfully implement a Health in all Policies approach and address wider determinants of health, public health practitioners need to be equipped and supported as policy advocates. The advocacy role and the complex skills required need to be more fully understood by the public health profession and prioritized within workforce development at both local and national levels.

There is growing international interest in health literacy and the processes by which it can be developed. Critical health literacy, one of the domains of health literacy, shows an affinity with the goals and processes of community development. Critical health literacy represents a cognitive and personal skill set that exists at either individual or community level and which is oriented towards social and political action on factors affecting health. This article examines the relationship between critical health literacy and community development. Using an illustrative case study it explores the extent to which community development processes were used by a project to build critical health literacy amongst vulnerable populations and communities. The case study demonstrates that in working to build the different elements of critical health literacy processes were used that were typical of community development. These processes included building self-efficacy and self-esteem, participatory and mutual learning techniques, acquisition of technical, practical and emancipatory knowledge, democratic processes of collective decision making, critical questioning, critical awareness raising and conscientization. The article argues for community development to embrace and advance the concept of critical health literacy in order that; its potential to address inequalities in health can be achieved and to create an opportunity to embed community development more fully within health policy and practice.

This paper presents an evidence informed rationale for focussing on harmful gambling products and industry practices in public health messaging through the example of a recent innovation called 'Odds Are: They Win'. 'Odds Are: They Win' was initially developed through coproduction involving public health professionals and people with lived experience of gambling harms and implemented across a city-region area. A review of relevant evidence was undertaken, upon which the research team reflected to draw out the implications of 'Odds Are: They Win' for gambling harms messaging. Evidence is mounting that safer gambling campaigns framed in terms of individual responsibility are ineffective and can generate stigma. 'Odds Are: They Win' presents an alternative focus that is not anti-gambling but raises awareness of industry manipulation of the situational and structural context of gambling. This is in-keeping with historical lessons from the stop smoking field and emerging research in critical health literacy. The latter highlights the potential of education on the social and commercial determinants of health to stimulate behaviour change and collective action. 'Odds Are: They Win' is a potentially disruptive innovation for the gambling harms field. Research is required to robustly evaluate this intervention across diverse criteria, target audiences, and delivery settings.