Group items tagged

Many older adults in Medicare managed care programs have low health literacy, and this may affect use of preventive services. Objectives. To determine whether older adults with inadequate health literacy were less likely to report receiving influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations, mammograms, and Papanicolaou smears than individuals with adequate health literacy after adjusting for other covariates. Research Design. Cross-sectional survey; home interviews with community dwelling enrollees. Subjects. Medicare managed care enrollees 65 to 79 years old in four US cities (n = 2722). Measures. Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults and self-reported preventive service use. Results. In bivariate analyses, self-reported lack of preventive services was higher among individuals with inadequate health literacy than those with adequate health literacy: never had an influenza vaccination: 29% versus 19% (P = 0.000); never had a pneumococcal vaccination: 65% versus 54% (P = 0.000); no mammogram in the last 2 years: 24% versus 17% (P = 0.017); never had a Papanicolaou smear: 10% versus 5% (P = 0.002). After adjusting for demographics, years of school completed, income, number of physician visits, and health status, people with inadequate health literacy were more likely to report they had never received the influenza (OR, 1.4% 95% CI, 1.1-1.9) or pneumococcal vaccination (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7), and women were less likely to have received a mammogram (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0-2.2) or Papanicolaou smear (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-3.1). Conclusions. Among Medicare managed care enrollees, inadequate health literacy is independently associated with lower use of preventive health services. (Abstract taken from JSTOR.)

We sought to determine whether literacy mediates the relationship between education and glycemic control among diabetes patients. Methods: We measured educational attainment, literacy using the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (s-TOFHLA), and glycemic control (HbA1c) in 395 diabetes patients at a U.S. public hospital. We performed path analysis to compare two competing models to explain glycemic control. The direct effects model estimated how education was related to HbA1c; the mediational model estimated the strength of the direct relationship when the additional pathway from education to literacy to HbA1c was added. Results: Both the model with a direct effect of education on HbA1c and the model with literacy as a mediator were supported by good fit to observed data. The mediational model, however, was a significant improvement, with the additional path from literacy to HbA1c reducing the discrepancy from observed data (p<0.01). After including this path, the direct relationship between education and HbA1c fell to a non-significant threshold. Conclusions: In a low-income population with diabetes, literacy mediated the relationship between education and glycemic control. This finding has important implications for both education and health policy. (Abstract taken from JSTOR.)

Health literacy is basic reading and numerical skills that allow a person to function in the health care environment. Even though most adults read at an eighth-grade level, and 20 percent of the population reads at or below a fifth-grade level, most health care materials are written at a 10th-grade level. Older patients are particularly affected because their reading and comprehension abilities are influenced by their cognition and their vision and hearing status. Inadequate health literacy can result in difficulty accessing health care, following instructions from a physician, and taking medication properly. Patients with inadequate health literacy are more likely to be hospitalized than patients with adequate skills. Patients understand medical information better when spoken to slowly, simple words are used, and a restricted amount of information is presented. For optimal comprehension and compliance, patient education material should be written at a sixth-grade or lower reading level, preferably including pictures and illustrations. All patients prefer reading medical information written in clear and concise language. Physicians should be alert to this problem because most patients are unwilling to admit that they have literacy problems. (Am Fam Physician 2005;72:463-8. Copyright© 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians.)

Literacy is a continuous, multidimensional indicator of proficiency in using written language. This essay reviews several recent books on literacy, and suggests some profound theoretical issues about consumer behavior inspired by a sociocultural perspective on literacy. In particular, ties between literacy and six diverse research programs on consumer behavior are highlighted: responses to persuasion; affect and decision making; the meanings of products and brands; social marketing of health behaviors; consumption, identity, and resistance; and the impact of the internet on consumer behavior. In addition, questions both interesting and troubling about the impact of consumption on literacy are raised in the hope of encouraging future research. (Abstract taken from JSTOR.)

This article expresses how health literacy and the understanding of that concept has changed through the past years. People are more aware of poor health, and of poor literacy. There are new researches, and other things being done to help those with poor health literacy and other things

This article first discusses what health literacy is, and has some background information. It then discusses how many patients have very low literacy levels. It talks about how health literacy can change how a patient recovers or understands there treatments

This article discussed if social support is correlated with older adults health literacy. They also studied to see if the adults health was directly effected because of there health literacy.

Supiano gives us a look at financial literacy programs at universities across the United States. Attracting students to attend the program did not prove difficult, but the problem is, that many sign up, but don't follow through with attending. The program intention is to help students master the basics of budgeting, saving, and not spending beyond their means. College students especially need to understand the implication of irresponsible spending since tuition, fees and housing cost continue to rise. Supiano argues that financial literacy affects student retention, productivity, and mental health. The article also discusses where the responsibility should be for providing financial education. Financial-aid offices aren't equipped to offer an in-depth and broader education in financial literacy but they try. Home continues to be the best place to start the ground work for financial literacy.

This article discusses a study that was done to show the correlation between health literacy and social communication. It is based off of older adults who usually have more health problems. It was showed in this study that also the older adults tend to have more chronic illnesses, they have very low health literacy

This article is about an experiment/ study that was conducted about health literacy and adolescents. The study was conducted in Australia. It tested the mental health literacy of adolescents and the effected that SMS messages had on them. The study did not have exact outcomes and more research has to be done in order to report exact information.

This article mainly discusses the way that poverty is effecting people. It focuses a lot on the undeveloped countries and the way people are living in poverty. It also explains different aspects of health literacy and gives background information about it. It also talks about how people living in poverty struggle with health literacy.

This article is about a study/experiment that was done with a group of adults that had visited a health clinic. The tested the performance of new vital signs, and if people were able to read them. This tested there literacy levels, and they had other ways of testing there literacy levels.

This article defines exactly what health literacy is, and goes through different background information. It talks about the NAAL, which has to do with adult literacy. It also discusses and goes through the NAAL survey that many adults have taken

This is a study that tested the mental health literacy of internet users. They measured different levels of depression through these test. They learned that if they intervene with these mental health disorders earlier, than they are easily fixed/switched by different means.

This article is mentions the way in which doctors communicate to their patients about their health problems. So many patients do not have health literacy, which makes it very important for doctors to inform their patients properly.

In this article they start out with background information about health and nutrition literacy. Then it is explained how important it is for people, and students to be made aware of this. It talks about the importance of having trainers and professionals help schools and people to increase there health.

The idea of media literacy prompts an increasingly divisive debate between educators who wish to protect children from the commercialization of global markets and those who challenge critical media studies as misguided, outdated, and ineffective. We have provided a historical overview of changing conceptions of media literacy as preparation and protection in market society, arguing that contemporary concerns about children's fast food marketing and sedentary lifestyles call for new approaches to the education of citizen-consumers in a risk society. Our case study demonstrates that a media education programme can provide scaffolding for children's critical thinking about their sedentary lifestyles and media consumption. (Abstract taken from JSTOR.)

So many poeple in this country have average, or below average health literacy skills. It is a major issue because people may not understand how to keep healthy or understand what illness they may have.

This article is about an experiment that was done to test the knowledge of elderly adults. There were 137 participants and the test lasted for about five weeks. The test proved that if the elderly were given a course about internet and computer use, they were more open to using it and did not stress or have anxiety over it. They also were given internet/computer courses about health that improved there health literacy.

This article discusses the importance of relaying information from doctors to patients. It states how important it is for the patients to actually understand the information they are being told. All people have different levels of literacy that doctors need to be made aware of.The article stressed the importance of doctors being clear and precise to there patients and not using 'doctor lingo'.