Health Literacy Statistics and Facts

Health literacy is defined as a way to use health information so that people can act on this information in order to have a higher quality of life. Skills related to health literacy include reading, writing, listening, speaking, working with numbers, as well as critical analysis with communication in general as well as social interaction skills. Health information may make a person feel sick in terms of feeling paranoid, anxious, or confused. Health literacy is a way to communicate with doctors, allied health professionals, and is something that public health communication experts wrestle with how to reach their audiences in a more effective way.

The overall concept of health literacy encompasses skills and knowledge, settings and resources, audiences, and communication. If you initiate studies to get data on groups at risk for limited health literacy, you have to use plain language about public health information while developing understandable health and safety information that people can access as well as take action on, because health literacy promotes good habits. Health information is of limited use for people with limited literacy skills. Many people have literacy problems that are not fixed, along with higher rates of illness such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, HIV/AIDS, oral disease, cancer deaths, and low birth weight.

Less than 60% of the American population will have English as their first language unless they grew up in the United States, and health literacy statistics back this up. When someone has a health problem, they are frightened in the hospital and do not have literacy skill. Health consumers have to deal with legal, administrative, or financial documentation. Advanced medical directives are something that literacy would help with using but keeping up with self-care is confusing for those who do not read very well, as they have to keep up with vaccine schedules, medication lists, referrals, and hospital discharge instructions.

Health literacy statistics are not promising, because health literature has to make sure their target audience is defined, as some individuals have marginal written communication skills. They need materials written in a simple language. Health personnel needs to take this into account as they try to convey health information to those who have limited literacy skills. However, the public has to have enough information so as to make well-informed health care choices. Research is there to tell health care personnel about their target audience, their age, social group, even their relevant behaviors.

Relevant behaviors include risky behaviors, thrill-seeking, etc. Related knowledge about stigma, shame and the discriminatory practices people of that group face. A way to collect good data is to use a survey on the group you want more information about. Health literacy focus groups are another way to gather the data you want to have on them. If someone has trouble reading a pamphlet, they can always use the Internet to get good quality information such as Medline Plus. Audience interviews are another way to gather data that you need on a marginalized group and their health care accessibility/literacy.

Some individuals do not have good enough computer skills to use while evaluating their health care choices. They may not even have access to smartphones. How do you reach this type of health care consumer? The old-fashioned way with paper fliers. Health material needs to be written in a detailed manner that makes sense to those with limited-literacy. Topics have to be organized in a way the person will use them, as this improves topic retention. There is also a request for the reader to look into calling a clinic as there is a difference between need-to-know information and want-to-know information.