the basics - World Health Communication Associates

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© Photo by Steve TurnerPoor health literacy skills are very common. Based on studies in several countriesone can assume that 20-50% of the people in this picture will have trouble obtaining,understanding and using health information.8 SUMMARY
WHO IS THIS GUIDE FOR?SUMMARYHealth Literacy at a GlanceThis guide is for health professionals, educators, policy makers and advocates whowish to improve individual and population health literacy. This Health Literacy ActionGuide summarises current knowledge on why health literacy is important and howwe can improve health literacy.WHAT IS HEALTH LITERACY?Health literacy refers to a person’s capacity to obtain health information, process itand act upon it. Health literacy skills include basic reading, writing, numeracy and theability to communicate and question. Health literacy also requires functional abilitiesto recognise risk, sort through conflicting information, make health-related decisions,navigate often complex health systems and ‘speak up’ for change when health system,community and governmental policies and structures do not adequately serve needs.People’s health literacy shapes their health behaviours and choices—and ultimatelytheir health and wellbeing.WHY IS HEALTH LITERACY IMPORTANT?There is strong scientific evidence that shows that poor health literacy leads to lesshealthy choices, riskier behaviours, poorer health, more hospitalisations and higherhealth care costs. Poor health literacy has been shown to be a major public healthproblem in all countries where the issue has been studied. Very large numbers ofpeople in both developed and developing countries have poor health literacy skills.In the US, for example, about 90 million adults—half of the adult population—arethought to lack the literacy skills needed to effectively use the US health care system.WHY THIS GUIDE?Poor health literacy is not just an individual problem but a systemic societal problem.It is best addressed when information, education and all types of communicationfrom health and other services are aligned with the skills and needs of their users.While poor health literacy skills are common and have been found to be a significantdeterminant of health, to date there has been little systematic corrective action inSUMMARY 9
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SECTION 6: BUILDING NATIONAL AND LO
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REFERENCESAllen CE. 2001. 2000 pres
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Figueroa ME, Kincaid DL, Rani M & L
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Kickbusch I & Maag D. 2008. Health
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Parker RM, Ratzan, SC & Lurie N. 20
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Sudore RL, Yaffe K, Satterfield S,
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World Health Communication Associat
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the basics - World Health Communication Associates

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