Analysis of Information and Health Literacy Policies in Pandemics: A Case Study of COVID-19

The global community, during the COVID-19 pandemic, faced a vast amount of information and risks due to low levels of health literacy. Governments responded differently to the pandemic crisis based on formulated policies and their societal conditions. The present research focuses on analyzing information and health literacy policies in pandemics to present a model and identify and prioritize factors affecting the formation and implementation of the mentioned policies.

This qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured interviews with key informants. Extracted codes were designed based on expert opinions, and an initial conceptual framework was developed according to the policy triangle (content, context, process, and actors). Finally, the identified issues and the conceptual framework were validated using the Delphi-quantitative method.

The results indicate that the content of information and health literacy policies focuses on goal-setting, planning, law formulation, and amendments and updates. The process of information and health literacy policies in pandemics was categorized into managerial, educational, dissemination, sharing, evaluation, and monitoring processes. Economic, political, social, and cultural aspects were identified as influential context, and multiple actors were identified as policymakers and facilitators of information and health literacy policies in pandemics.

The developed model can be a suitable and useful tool for increasing the awareness of health managers and policymakers about the strengths and weaknesses of past policies regarding information and health literacy policies in pandemics. It also provides a suitable perspective for policymaking and identifying factors influencing the implementation of enacted policies.