Health literacy

Literacy is a tremendously important part of our daily lives. Literacy is simply knowledge, and without knowledge, we cannot expect to survive. Knowledge is the information or skills that one knows and uses to apply to their daily life and it is the most important part of health literacy. The provision of health information promotes promising healthcare decision making. Without efficient health literacy, one is not capable of understanding even the basics of health information to make adequate health

Health Literacy Many individuals in the United States are struggling with reading, writing, and comprehension. This is not only necessary for daily life in today’s world, but imperative on the healthcare front. “Health literacy continues to be a major problem despite public and private efforts at all levels to address the issue through testing of literacy skills and development of literacy training programs” (Bastable, 2014, p. 256). “By focusing on health literacy issues and working together

Health literacy is a concept in the field of health promotion that is given considerable attention in order to change and improve health behaviour. It is a key outcome from health education. However, this misses much of the deeper meaning and purpose of health literacy for people and what health literacy particularly encompasses. According to who, “Health literacy builds on the idea that both health and literacy are critical resources for everyday living (pg. 4). Health literacy has three dimensions

expectancy, but as a nation we are sicker. In May of 2010 the United States Department of Health and Human Services implemented The National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy in efforts to improve health literacy and the health of the nation. The Center for Disease and Control defines Health Literacy as the level of which a person can access, communicate, evaluate and understand basic health information. Health Literacy can range from knowledge about preventative care, treatment and awareness of all

discovered that are pertinent to the current study’s focus on health literacy skills amongst college students. Themes are as follows: literacy, health literacy, the prevalence of health literacy, occupational therapy and health literacy, methods to measure health literacy, and finally health literacy amongst a college population. Literacy Health literacy cannot be defined without first defining literacy. Mayagah and Wayne (2009) explain literacy, in its most direct definition, as the ability to read, write

intentions, still, millions of people remain marginalized without access to health literacy. Many socioeconomic factors serve as barriers to health literacy. Among them include factors like financial status, education level, and culture, just to name a few. By definition, health literacy is the “capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services. It is the capacity to make appropriate health care decisions and navigate the healthcare system” (Frasier 10.17.14). Though

Health Literacy Statistics in the U.S. and Colorado Only 15-40 % of the population in the U.S. are health literate (Kirk et al. 2012) and 14% of the total adult population have below basic/functional literacy. Of the total adult population with basic health literacy skills, 14 % of the population are men and 16% of the population are were women (The Colorado Health Foundation 2013). In Colorado, the percentage of adults with basic, intermediate and proficient health literacy skills were 22%, 52%

in the United States, most non-health related individuals will have trouble have trouble understanding his or her medications or medical diagnoses. This becomes the matter of health literacy or rather a lack of health literacy, which is described as "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions" (Hernandez 2009). The United Sates has a health care systems rely on printed materials

Health literacy will first be defined and identified as a social problem within Cayce Homes in Nashville, Tennessee. Existing organizations influencing health literacy within Cayce Homes will be assessed to reveal that not enough is currently being done in Cayce and in Nashville as a whole. Two successful interventions in other cities will be assessed as models off which a new intervention will be proposed to fill the gaps that currently exist. A series of programming called “Own Your Health” will

Health Literacy resides beneath the umbrella of social determinants; aptitude in this form of literacy is a determinant of wellbeing, and influences vulnerabilities and capacities towards disease formation and prevention (Reading & Wien, 2009). Historically, health literacy had a subservient role in condition-focused care, and possessed an approach that lacked partnership, capacity building and thus empowerment. The significance of the relatively new and evolving concept was unveiled due to implications