Insufficient Health Literacy and Public Health

Insufficient Health Literacy and Public Health The "Role of Nutrition for Health" conference, organised for the first time in Turkey in partnership between Sabri Ülker Vakfı and The Nutrition Society, highlighted the critical importance of balanced nutrition for the future of public health. According to research conducted, the majority of the adult population in Turkey has "insufficient" or "problematic" levels of health literacy. Inadequate or incorrect information acquisition on nutrition matters, that is, insufficient health literacy, has raised obesity and overweight rates in Turkey to 20 percent among men and 28 percent among women. As education levels decline among individuals, disease rates also increase. Sabri Ülker Vakfı, which implements projects to increase public awareness and consciousness in the field of healthy nutrition, and The Nutrition Society, considered the most established institution on nutrition globally, brought together leading figures in the nutrition world in Istanbul. For the future of public health, world-renowned scientists shared the latest information on healthy living at the "Role of Nutrition for Health" conference held in Istanbul on 25-26 May 2022. At a press meeting, The Nutrition Society and Sabri Ülker Vakfı managers and experts discussed the importance of the conference and evaluated health literacy, obesity in Turkey and Europe, and nutrition habits in the United Kingdom and Turkey. Begüm Mutuş, General Director of Sabri Ülker Vakfı, said that they hosted world-renowned scientists in cooperation with The Nutrition Society, and expressed that they shared the most current information with the public for better understanding of the role of nutrition in achieving and maintaining ideal health. Noting that health literacy holds critical importance for correct information, Begüm Mutuş stated: "As a society, our health literacy is unfortunately insufficient. Looking at research today, we see that 35 million of Turkey's population cannot read correctly on health matters. The insufficiency of health literacy, unfortunately, ranks among the most important risks negatively affecting health." According to the 2022 Europe Obesity Report announced by the World Health Organization European Regional Office, Mutuş noted that one in every five people in Turkey is overweight or obese, and said: "Obesity has reached almost epidemic proportions in Europe. Turkey stands out among European countries as the country where obesity and overweight problems are most prevalent. As a society, we must take measures without ignoring this situation and bring our health literacy level to a sufficient level."

35 Million Adult Population Cannot Read Correctly on Health Matters

Information pollution and insufficient health literacy, one of the greatest risks for public health globally, constitute one of the most important risks negatively affecting individuals' personal health. According to the Turkey Health Literacy Level and Related Factors research, regarding health literacy in Turkey, 24.5 percent of the adult population has "insufficient" and 40.1 percent has "problematic" levels of information. That is, of the 53 million adult population, 35 million do not have adequate health literacy levels. According to the research, 43.5 percent of those with insufficient health literacy levels have a disease diagnosed by a physician. These figures show that the lack of health literacy is one of the most important factors in disease development. Julie Lovegrove, President of The Nutrition Society, stated: "As The Nutrition Society, we believe that correct information of individuals on nutrition and health literacy hold critical importance for public health. We are delighted to host this important event focused on nutrition education in partnership with Sabri Ülker Vakfı."

Average Life Expectancy 78 Years in Turkey, 80 Years in the United Kingdom

Prof. Dr. Julian Stowell, Member of the Royal Society of Medicine, comparing nutrition habits in the United Kingdom and Turkey, stated: "According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, life expectancy from birth is 76 years for women and 80 years for men in Turkey. In the United Kingdom, it is 79 years for women and 82 years for men. Although the difference is small, when healthy life expectancy is considered, the difference narrows further. This period is on average 78 years in Turkey and 80 years in the United Kingdom. For this reason, it is highly probable that we will encounter chronic diseases and ailments in later ages. The acquisition of correct nutrition habits through health literacy suggests that average life expectancy could increase with each passing day."

"Heart Diseases Rank First in Turkey"

Prof. Dr. Julian Stowell, noting that cardiovascular diseases rank first among the causes of death constituting 35.8 percent of Turkey's population, stated: "In the United Kingdom, deaths from cardiovascular diseases are estimated to constitute 28.6 percent of the population. Among the most important non-communicable diseases causing death and illness, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes rank first in both populations. Obesity stands out as a serious health problem for both countries. This information is disheartening but there is still hope. The World Health Organization identifies poor nutrition, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption as the most important modifiable risk factors. The secret to a healthier life lies in correct health literacy education that will be provided to us by our families and teachers from an early age. In this regard, governments must certainly develop new curricula and convey the importance of healthy living from an early age." According to data from the Turkey Nutrition and Health Research (TBSA) 2019, one of the most comprehensive studies on nutrition status in Turkey, obesity among the adult population varies at rates of 20 percent among men and 28 percent among women. According to the 2022 Europe Obesity Report, approximately 67 percent of adults in Turkey face overweight or obesity problems. The report also shows that approximately 25 percent of men and approximately 40 percent of women are obese. This indicates increasingly prevalent obesity. Furthermore, it is noted that adults with lower education levels in Turkey face higher obesity risk.

Global Challenges in Nutrition and New Solutions Discussed

At the conference, alongside Royal Society of Medicine member Prof. Dr. Julian Stowell, speakers included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nazan Yardım, Head of the Public Health Obesity Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Department at the Ministry of Health, Prof. Dr. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, Head of the Harvard University Sabri Ülker Center, Prof. John Mathers from Newcastle University, Prof. Erkki Vartiainen from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Prof. Serhat Ünal from Hacettepe University, Dr. Alison Tedstone from the Health Improvement and Inequalities Office, Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom, Prof. Halit Tanju Besler from Kent University, and Prof. Mine Durusu Tanrıöver from Hacettepe University. On the first day of the conference, topics covered included the role of nutrition in health protection, nutrition during COVID 19, immune function and health, public health initiatives for obesity and diabetes in Turkey, and hidden hunger. On the second day of the conference, new molecular and architectural determinants of metabolic regulation in health and disease, recent activities of the Turkish Ministry of Health, and recent activities of the United Kingdom Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) were discussed. At the end of the two-day conference, a roundtable meeting was held with the participation of speakers, during which urgent actions to be taken for the future of public health were prepared and a statement was issued.