the basics - World Health Communication Associates

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BOX 1 : SIX DOMAINS OF INFLUENCE ON HEALTH LITERACY(adapted from Kickbusch & Maag 2008)Health systems — Health systems play a major role in developing individual andpopulation health literacy skills. Health systems can be made more health literacyfriendly in a variety of ways. Workers may be trained to recognise the specific needs ofusers and assist them in navigating systems. Information—such as forms, signs andletters—can be made more accessible and understandable. If done appropriately, thiscan help align system demands to user skill levels and improve user ability to accesshealth systems, assess risks, select appropriate pathways of care and engage in selfcare.Health systems can also advocate for and shape the ‘health literacy friendliness’of other systems and settings. They can do this by raising awareness of the negativehealth consequences of weak health literacy skills and, importantly, identifying goodpractice and advocating for more effective policies and interventions.Educational systems — Schools and other formal and informal educationalestablishments play a major role in developing literacy skills and fostering literacyin all countries. They help children and adults to learn about what influences theirhealth, the impact of the choices they make and where to find reliable information tosupport decision-making. Learning may have benefits in terms of improving attitudesto and competencies for engaging in positive health behaviours and making best useof health services. Literacy improves employment prospects (with associated healthgains), either by helping individuals to move out of unemployment or throughaiding progression in the labour market. Adult participation in learning may also bebeneficial for the next generation in terms of improving their chances of learning andhealth outcomes. The development of such literacy skills should be a priority andincluded in all school and adult education programmes, with particular emphasis onparental involvement in early years education.Media marketplaces — For many people, media marketplaces are a main sourceof health information. These marketplaces shape people’s health perceptions,behaviours and choices. Commercial and political interests often dominate, withinterested parties using sophisticated communication techniques to sell theirproducts and ideas. Public health advocates need to learn from commercialadvertisers and marketers. They can use the same approaches to help people makehealthier decisions when choosing goods and services. This could also serve tocounteract the negative influences of industries—tobacco, alcohol and fast food14SECTION 1: WHAT IS HEALTH LITERACY?
companies—which glamorise and promote unhealthy products and lifestyles.Home and community settings — People are called upon to make dailyhealth-related decisions in their homes and communities. Families, peer groupsand communities can be primary sources of health information. They help to shapefunctional health literacy skills related to product and service choices. These sourcescan provide important information about health-promoting, health-protecting anddisease-preventing behaviours, as well as ‘alternative therapies’, self- and family care,available support services and first aid.Workplace settings — By providing clear and consistent health messages toemployees, employers can help prevent accidents and lower the risk of industrialor occupational diseases. Health-promoting work environments go further withspecific health and wellbeing policies and dedicated support for employees toaddress lifestyle choices, such as alcohol and drug use and stress factors, includingjob security, demand–control, effort–reward in the workplace and issues related toachieving an appropriate work–life balance.Policy-making arenas — Policies at all levels—institutional, community, nationaland regional—shape the social and structural factors which determine health literacyand health. The engagement of citizens in policy-making processes is a fundamentaldemocratic principle. A key trend in many health system reforms is the empowermentof patients, the development of patient-centred care, and efforts to address the socialdeterminants of health which shape differential access to information and care acrossa social gradient.BUILDING INDIVIDUAL SKILLSSkills and AbilitiesBuilding health literacy skills and abilities is a lifelong process, and no-one is evertotally health literate (or illiterate 1 ). People develop their health literacy over timeand from a wide variety of sources. These may include their family and work settings;1This guide intentionally avoids use of the term ‘health illiteracy’, as it is both inaccurate and anemotionally loaded term which all too often causes stigma and shame.SECTION 1: WHAT IS HEALTH LITERACY? 15
Page 2 and 3: 2 FOREWORD
Page 6: SECTION 5: MESSAGES TO KEY STAKEHOL
Page 9 and 10: The guide has been developed throug
Page 11 and 12: WHO IS THIS GUIDE FOR?SUMMARYHealth
Page 13 and 14: Section 5: How can we advocate for
Page 15: systems and settings are ones which
Page 19: Health literacy is best viewed as a
Page 22 and 23: 3. POOR HEALTH LITERACY IS ASSOCIAT
Page 24 and 25: Percent Alive50 60 70 80 90 100Adeq
Page 26 and 27: • Written communication regarding
Page 28 and 29: 3.2 MEASURING THE DEMAND AND COMPLE
Page 30 and 31: 3.3 SCORECARDSThe WHCA Action Guide
Page 32 and 33: 3.4 A PUBLIC HEALTH LITERACY KNOWLE
Page 34 and 35: Social CapitalLinks have also been
Page 36 and 37: They also have to move from communi
Page 38 and 39: Use active voiceAvoid unnecessaryja
Page 40 and 41: epidemic outbreak tracking (providi
Page 42 and 43: may also include direct instruction
Page 46 and 47: For example, children and young peo
Page 48 and 49: Initiatives which have been shown t
Page 50 and 51: · understanding of bias and levels
Page 52 and 53: 4.4 HOME AND COMMUNITY SETTINGSPeop
Page 54 and 55: 4.5 WORKPLACE SETTINGSThe workplace
Page 56: 4.6 POLICY-MAKING ARENASPolicies at
Page 61 and 62: SECTION 6: BUILDING NATIONAL AND LO
Page 63 and 64: REFERENCESAllen CE. 2001. 2000 pres
Page 65 and 66: Figueroa ME, Kincaid DL, Rani M & L
Page 67 and 68:
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,
Page 74:
World Health Communication Associat
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