Health Literacy

doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-803678-5.00190-9

Reference Module in Biomedical Sciences

International Encyclopedia of Public Health (Second Edition)

2017, Pages 428-437

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-803678-5.00190-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

Health literacy is a person's ability to access, understand, and use health information and health services. People with limited health literacy strengths tend to be less educated, have fewer health-promoting behaviors, and have worse health outcomes. Public health needs to be mindful of the nature and content of clinical services and health-promotion interventions to ensure that, irrespective of the health literacy strengths or weaknesses of individuals or populations, interventions are as effective as possible such that all members have the opportunity to participate and receive benefits.

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Cited by (18)

School leaders reflections on their school's engagement in a program to foster health literacy development
2021, International Journal of Educational Research Open
Citation Excerpt :
Implementing strategies to improve HL can reduce health disparities for children and their communities (Paakkari & Paakkari, 2012; Volandes & Paasche-Orlow, 2007). Further, if HE is taught in a manner that fosters individual HL asset development, future generations will be equipped to respond to pandemics and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (Batterham et al., 2017). These outcomes can be achieved through interventions that support teachers to ‘teach for HL’ (Nash et al., 2020; Spencer, Kemp, Cruickshank, Otten & Nash, 2021).
Many health attitudes and behaviors formed during childhood are sustained through to adulthood, therefore childhood is a critical time to develop health literacy. Primary schools provide an ideal environment to equip children with lifelong health skills, understanding and knowledge. Through semi-structured interviews, this study gathered primary school leaders’ reflections on the implementation of a program (HealthLit4Kids) designed to foster health literacy development in their schools. The aim of this study was to determine how school leaders experienced the HealthLit4Kids intervention. The results showed that leaders perceived the program had a positive effect on health literacy knowledge and understanding within the school community, as well as improved health behaviors. School leaders’ statements indicated that key barriers such as parental engagement and an overcrowded curriculum would need to be navigated to ensure successful program sustainability.
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Roy Batterham, is a Senior Research Fellow in the Health Systems Improvement Unit at Deakin University, Australia and Senior Research Advisor in the Faculty of Economics at Durakij Pundit University, Thailand. He began his career as a physiotherapist and then, after completion of his M.Ed. (Evaluation), worked for 6 years at the Centre for Health Program Evaluation, The University of Melbourne, where he undertook research and evaluation in disability, case management, rehabilitation, and general practice. Roy has taught evaluation at most Victorian Universities. From 1999 to 2010, Roy worked as an independent consultant, conducting many evaluations and freelance research activities. From 2007 to 2009, the majority of these were in the field of chronic disease management in both community and sub-acute settings. Roy joined Deakin University in 2010. He has led several major projects including creation of an Internet-based intervention for people with musculoskeletal conditions and depression or anxiety, and he is the principle designer of the widely used Ophelia (OPtimising HEalth LIteracy and Access) process. Roy has also led several collaborative projects in Thailand including the development of the Thai Health Literacy Questionnaire (named the ISHAQ – Information and Support for Health Action Questionnaire) and also the application of Ophelia process in Thai villages.

Alison Beauchamp, BHSc (nursing), MPH, PhD (social epidemiology), is a senior research fellow in the Health Systems Improvement Unit, Centre for Population Health Research at Deakin University. The primary focus of her research is the equitable provision of interventions for the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases. Alison played a pivotal role in developing a new health literacy-based approach for optimizing the delivery of health services. This approach, the ‘Ophelia’ (OPtimising HEalth LIteracy and Access) process offers a framework by which health services and practitioners can take action to reduce inequities among their communities and clients. She has an extensive clinical background which, in combination with her research expertise, enables her to understand the complexities of applying interventions in real world healthcare settings.

Richard H. Osborne, BSc (Science), PhD (Epidemiology), is the Chair of Public Health at Deakin University. He holds a prestigious Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Senior Research Fellowship focusing on global health literacy development and equity. He is also an affiliate professor at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. As a consultant, he provides advice and services to a wide range of government and nongovernment agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), in both developing and developed countries. He has contributed to equitable health systems improvement initiatives in Asia, Africa, and Europe. With a background in epidemiology and health services research, his research output include methods for development and validation of measures of complex public health phenomena, needs assessment, intervention development, and implementation science.

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