Research & Insights for Workplace Wellbeing

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Health Literacy at Work – Individual and Organizational Health Literacy, Health Supporting Leadership and Employee Wellbeing

Lara Lindert; Kyung-Eun (Anna) Choi; Holger Pfaff; Sabrina Zeike

BMC Health Services Research

2023 July

DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09766-0

Springer Nature

Licence Label: CC BY 4.0

This study explores how health literacy at both an individual and organisational level influences employee wellbeing. Using data from over 2,500 employees, it shows that while individuals’ ability to manage their own health is important, it is not enough on its own. Organisational health literacy, how well workplaces support, communicate and enable healthy behaviours, and leadership that actively supports health both play a key role. The findings show these factors partially explain how individual health literacy translates into better wellbeing, reinforcing that workplace systems and leadership are critical in shaping employee health outcomes.

This research highlights that improving employee wellbeing requires both individual capability and organisational support working together.

  • Individual health literacy alone is not enough to drive wellbeing outcomes
  • Organisational health literacy plays a key role in enabling healthy behaviours
  • Leadership that actively supports health strengthens wellbeing outcomes
  • Workplace systems and structures shape how health behaviours are sustained
  • Leadership acts as a multiplier between organisational intent and employee experience
  • Wellbeing is influenced by both personal capability and workplace environment
  • Organisations need to make health information and support easy to access and act on
  • A combined approach (individual + organisational + leadership) is most effective

© 2023 The Author(s). The original work remains the intellectual property of the authors and publisher. Commentary by The Well Crowd. © The Well Crowd Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved. This content provides a summary and independent commentary on the original research and does not reproduce the original publication. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional or medical advice. No part of this content may be reproduced or distributed without prior written permission.

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