Additional insights about Filipinos’ level of literacy can be gained from the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey of 15‐year‐old students conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD). Among 79 countries, the Philippines ranked the lowest in reading and the 2nd lowest in both mathematics and science.26 Schleicher, A. (2019). PISA 2018 Insights and Interpretations. OECD. Retrieved May 22, 2020, from https://www.oecd.org/pisa/PISA%202018%20Insights%20and%20Interpretations%20FINAL%20PDF.pdf
The OECD notes that in the Philippines, students from the highest socio‐economic quarter scored 88 points higher in reading compared to students from the lowest socio‐economic quarter; 88 is close to the average of OECD countries’ difference in reading scores between each country’s highest and lowest socio‐economic quarters, which is 89 points.27 OECD. (2019). Philippines Country Note Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Results from Pisa 2018. OECD. Retrieved May 22, 2020, from https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2018_CN_PHL.pdf
Other studies abroad have shown that lower income groups have a harder time comprehending health information.28 Tang, C., et al. (2019). Examining Income‐Related Inequality in Health Literacy and Health‐Information Seeking among Urban Population in China. BMC Public Health. 19, 221. Retrieved April 28, 2020, from https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889‐019‐6538‐2
, 29 von Wagner, C., et al. (2007). Functional Health Literacy and Health‐Promoting Behaviour in a National Sample of British Adults. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. 61(12), 1086‐1090. Retrieved April 28, 2020, from https://jech.bmj.com/content/61/12/1086
There is a direct relationship between socioeconomic status and the level of health literacy. This is a reason why a lot of Filipinos have failed to grasp the full significance of the existence of the COVID‐19 pandemic and the importance of cooperating with measures to control and limit its spread.