Health Literacy

By Larizza F., Jenny H., Leighla K., & Joanne T.

 What is health literacy?
→First, what is Literacy?

“A person's ability to read, write, speak, and

compute and solve problems at levels necessary to:
function on the job and in society, achieve one's
goals, & develop one's knowledge and potential.”

→HEALTH Literacy definition:

“The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and
understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate
health decisions”
What is health literacy?
Health literacy is dependent on individual and systemic factors:
● Communication skills of lay persons and professionals
● Lay and professional knowledge of health topics
● Culture
● Demands of the healthcare and public health systems
● Demands of the situation/context

Health literacy affects people's ability to:

● Navigate the healthcare system, including filling out complex forms and locating
providers and services
● Share personal information, such as health history, with providers
● Engage in self-care and chronic-disease management
● Understand mathematical concepts such as probability and risk
What do we know about health literacy?
• Problems with health literacy affect all people,
but the elderly and chronically ill are most at-risk,
and also have the greatest healthcare needs and
expenses.

• Poor health literacy is "a stronger predictor of a

person's health than age, income, employment
status, education level, and race”.

• People with low health literacy are overwhelmed

by health care because their skills and abilities are
challenged by the demands and complexity
required
The National Assessment of Adult Literacy
● Four performance levels: Below basic, Basic,
Intermediate, Proficient

● 36% of adults in the United States have limited health

literacy

● 22% have Basic

● 14% have Below Basic health literacy.

● An additional 5% of the population is not literate in

English.

● Only 12% of the population has a proficient health

literacy level.
Why is health literacy an important topic for health
education/health promotion?
● People with low health literacy often fail to seek
preventive care.
● Most health information is written in college
level or higher.
● Obtaining health literacy skills save time and
money.
● An individual with health literacy can provide
help and services to others.
● Better health decision-making skills.
What organizations/agencies are actively
addressing health literacy
● National Action Plan to Promote Health Literacy:
○ Released in May 2010 by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services
○ Hopes to engage organizations, policy makers, professionals, communities,
families, and individuals in a linked, multi-sector effort to improve health
literacy
○ Vision of the Plan:
■ Provide everyone with access to accurate, actionable health information
■ Deliver person-centered health information & services
■ Support lifelong learning and skills to promote good health
What organizations/agencies are actively addressing
health literacy
● National Action Plan to Promote Health Literacy (cont.)
○ There are 7 goals in the plan:
■ Goal 1: Develop health and safety information that is accessible, actionable, and
accurate.
■ Goal 2: Improve the way healthcare is delivered by improving communication,
communication, informed decision making, and access to health services
■ Goal 3: Include accurate and standardized health and developmentally
appropriate health & science information and curricula into child care education
through the university level.
■ Goal 4: Support & expand efforts at the local level that provide adult education,
English-language instruction, and culturally & linguistic appropriate health
information services in the community
What organizations/agencies are actively addressing
health literacy
● National Action Plan to Promote Health Literacy (cont.)
○ Goal 5: Build partnerships, develop guidance, and change policies
○ Goal 6: Increase basic research & development, implementation, & evaluation
of practices & interventions to improve health literacy
○ Goal 7: Increase the dissemination and use of evidence-based health literacy
practices and interventions
What organizations/agencies are actively addressing
health literacy
● According to the CDC, 19 states have programs that actively promote health
literacy as part of the National Action Plan to Promote Health Literacy
● These states include: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas,
Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York,
North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin
What organizations/agencies are actively addressing
health literacy
● Some examples at the state level:
○ Arizona Health Literacy Coalition
● Increase awareness of health literacy and its importance
● Facilitate partnerships and collaboration in Arizona
● Facilitate the sharing of resources in Arizona
● Establish work groups responsible for creating objectives
What organizations/agencies are actively addressing
health literacy
● Some examples at the state level (cont):
○ Indiana Center for Intercultural Communication (ICIC)
■ Founded in 1998
■ Located within Indiana University School of Liberal Arts
■ aims to implement practical and customizable education and training in
English language and culture for specific purposes; and applies its
research to benefit the local and global community.
What organizations/agencies are actively addressing
health literacy
● Some examples at the state level (cont):
○ Health Literacy Missouri (HLM)
■ Uses innovative methods to educate the public about health and relay
accurate and reliable health information
■ Such methods include using digital and social media, plain language,
video creation, research & testing, & training and presentations
What are some examples of addressing and/or
improving health literacy?
● Twenty years of research indicate that today’s health information is presented in a
way that isn’t usable by most Americans
● Almost 9 out of 10 adults have difficulty using the everyday health information
that is routinely available in our health care facilities, retail outlets, media, and
communities
● Without clear information and an understanding of prevention and
self-management of conditions, people are more likely to skip necessary medical
tests
● They also more likely to end up in the emergency room and have a hard time
managing chronic diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure
What are some examples of addressing and/or
improving health literacy?
● The National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy seeks to engage
organizations, professionals, policymakers, communities, individuals, and families
in a linked, multisector effort to improve health literacy.
● The plan is based on the principles that:
○ Everyone has the right to health information that helps them make informed decisions
○ Health services should be delivered in ways that are understandable and beneficial to health,
longevity, and quality of life
References
Health Literacy Activities by State. (2015, October 01). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from

http://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/statedata/

Health Literacy - Fact Sheet: Health Literacy Basics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from

https://health.gov/communication/literacy/quickguide/factsbasic.htm

Health Literacy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from https://nnlm.gov/outreach/consumer/hlthlit.html

https://health.gov/communication/hlactionplan/pdf/Health_Literacy_Action_Plan.pdf

National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. (2011, April 11). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from

http://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/planact/national.html
Class Activity
https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/883a341c-400e-4aa0-9f2f-6d48c05d78ef