Exploring health literacy in university students with specific learning disorders: An observational pilot study

Background: Diagnoses of specific learning disorders (SLDs) have increased in recent years, as has the number of certified students entering university. From a public health perspective, the potential impact of dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography, and dyscalculia on health literacy (HL) deserves attention. However, empirical evidence on the relationship between SLDs and HL remains limited. Methods: We conducted an observational pilot study to assess HL levels among students with documented SLDs at the University of Udine (Italy). Between November 2023 and April 2024, participants completed an online selfadministered questionnaire collecting sociodemographic data and the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47), which was used to measure HL. Results: The study sample consisted of 38 students (mean age: 24 years; 60.5% female). A single SLD diagnosis was reported by 42.1% of participants, whereas 57.9% had two or more co-occurring SLDs. Dyslexia was the most prevalent disorder (71.1%), followed by dysgraphia (52.6%). Overall, 65.8% of students showed problematic or inadequate HL levels. The presence of multiple SLDs was not significantly associated with HL level. Additionally, no significant differences in HL were observed according to the type of SLD or the use of compensatory or dispensatory measures. Discussion and Conclusions: These preliminary findings support the hypothesis that SLDs are associated with difficulties in accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying health-related information. Future research is needed to further substantiate the findings of this exploratory study as well as to clarify their public health implications, particularly in relation to healthcare access, disease prevention, and health promotion.