Between health and science: Health literacy and the perception of medical research

Objective: Biomedical innovation plays an important role in health care pathways and public debates. Nevertheless, existing measures of health literacy take little account of medical research. In this article, we explore the relationship between health literacy and attitudes toward medical research, from clinical trials to more general attitudes toward science. Methods: We analyze the results of two self-administered questionnaires conducted on samples of the French adult population in 2020 and 2021 (N=2003 and N=2022). A series of twelve questions assessed health literacy (HLS19-Q12-EN) and ten questions addressed attitudes to clinical trials, medical research, and science in general. The analyses characterize the population's perception of medical research issues and its association with health literacy. Results: There is a significant association between health literacy and perception of research. A low level of literacy is associated with lower knowledge of clinical trials and a more negative attitude toward them, less confidence in science and its contributions to society. Conclusions: Given the continuity between care and research, health literacy is likely to be a relevant measure for characterizing disparity in attitudes toward clinical trials and improving access to innovation.