Health Literacy Flashcards
Intersectionality theory
- persons health is defined and influenced by multiple factors
- factors converge to create a unique experience
Intersectional theory: influencing factors
- region, culture, sexuality, gender, SES, literacy, etc.
Intersectional paradigm
Seeks to uncover the convergency of experiences
- includes multiple forms of discrimination and oppression and how the experiences affect each other
What factor is most important in intersectional theory
- no one factor is more important than the other
“ within category” identies are
Diverse
Example: indigenous peoples are all the same - there is great diversity within the category
What are important factors to look at when looking at intersectional theory applied to health
- power structures and historical placement
Relationship between risk behavior and education
- lower rates of risk behaviour are associated with higher average grade achievement
Education and wage relationship
- higher wages are associated with higher grade achievement
Education influence on self assessment of health
- highschool education 4.1 times as likely to rate health as poor as those with a post secondary education
- higher rates of many disease are associated with lower education levels
Self assessment is used as an index
Of morbidity and a predictor of mortality
Health literacy
- complex set of abilities needed to understand and use dominate symbol systems of a culture-alphabets, numbers, visual icons for personal and community development
- the capacity of individuals to use and make critical judgements about the information they encounter on a daily basis.
- includes: visuals, media, and information literacy
Health literacy can be used as an indicator of
Health disparities
- development of literacy and health literacy skills supports health and minimizes inequalities
Most likely to have low health literacy
Older Canadians, First Nations, newcomers to Canada, individuals with limited education, income, and language skills
Functional health literacy
- enables individuals to understand oral and written information about health care issues, follow written and numerical directions regarding their therapeutic regimens and diagnostic tests, ask pertinent questions of health care providers, report past medical history, and contribute to problem solving related to their care
Low health literacy statistics
- 60% of adults in Canada are unable to obtain, understand, or act upon health information and services and to make informed decisions on their own
What percent of Canadians find it difficult to find out where to get professions help when they are ill
23
What percent of Canadians find it difficult to judge when to seek a second opinion from their doctor
54
People with low health literacy are less likely to
- identify own medications
- understand the potential side effects
- misunderstand warning labels
Levels of health literacy
- Basic or functional health literacy
2 communicate if interactivity health literacy - Critical health literacy
Basic or functional health literacy
- lowest
- reading or writing
Communities or interactive health literacy
- includes social skills, participation, applying new information to change circumstances
Critical health literacy
- demonstrating control
- analyzing information
Health numeracy
- the degree to which individuals have the capacity to access, process, interpret, communicate, and act on numerical, quantitative, graphical, bio statistical, and probabilistic health information needed to make effective health decision
Health numeracy functional categories
- basic ( identify numbers and quantitative data)
- computational (count, quantify, and simple manipulations)
- analytical (estimations, percentages, normal ranges, graphs)
- statistical (probability, life expectancy, risk)
Red flags for low literacy
- frequently missed appointments
- incomplete registration forms
- non compliance with medication
- unable to name medication
- unable to give coherent, sequential history
- ask fewer questions
- lack of follow through on test and referrals
Common assessments for measuring health literacy
- REALM ( assesses ability to read, doesn’t assess comprehension)
- NVS ( nutrition label, identify simple manipulations)
- TOFHLA
Health literacy stradigies
- teach back
- ask me 3
Teach back
- use for all patients
- stick to 2 to 4 points
- use plain language
- rephrase until patient understands
Ask me 3
- what is my main problem?
- what do I need to do?
- why is it important for me to do this?
