Keywords
health literacy
Hong Kong
Health interventions
Migrant Health
Health equity
Abstract
Introduction. Immigration is increasingly recognized as a social determinant of health, shaping migrants’ access to health information, preventive services, and appropriate care. For Indonesian Migrant Workers (IMWs) in Hong Kong, structural barriers including precarious employment conditions, language barriers, and limited social protection may constrain health literacy and health-seeking behavior. This study aimed to assess the health literacy levels of IMWs in Hong Kong and identify the sociodemographic and occupational factors associated with their health literacy.
Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 62 IMWs in Hong Kong. Data were collected using the Health Literacy Survey Short Form (HLS-SF12) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression with JASP software.
Results. The mean health literacy score was 33.9 (SD=6.45), with most respondents classified as having sufficient health literacy (72.6%), followed by excellent (19.4%) and problematic (8.1%), and none categorized as inadequate. The overall regression model was not statistically significant (F(13, 47)=1.742, p=0.083); however, occupation was the only significant predictor, with elderly homecare workers scoring significantly higher than domestic workers (B=7.064, p=0.018).
Conclusion. These findings suggest that health literacy among IMWs in Hong Kong is more strongly shaped by occupational context and structural determinants than by individual sociodemographic characteristics. Targeted, occupation-specific interventions and broader structural reforms, including language-accessible health resources and integration of health literacy into pre-departure training, are essential to reduce health inequities among IMWs in Hong Kong.
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