Copyright Tallahassee Democrat
For many years now I have been concerned with the lack of willingness to base decisions on the basis of valid scientific information and rather choosing pseudo-science or some other rationale (including politics, at times). The media may, in fact, be a message but the veracity of that message has become more and more difficult with the myriad of products promoted across media. In many instances direct (or indirect) claims are difficult to measure in terms of their actually being truthful. A better understanding of these claims can be obtained by understanding the important role health literacy (particularly relevant to media literacy) plays in our lives. So, today’s column will focus on providing an overview of health literacy and will also provide resources for readers to pursue to gain a better understanding of this important topic. What is health literacy? The definition of health literacy was updated in August 2020 with the release of the U.S. government’s Healthy People 2030 initiative. The update addresses personal health literacy and organizational health literacy and provides the following definitions: Personal health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others. Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others. The new definitions: Emphasize people’s ability to use health information rather than just understand it Focus on the ability to make “well-informed” decisions rather than “appropriate” ones Acknowledge that organizations have a responsibility to address health literacy Incorporate a public health perspective From a public health perspective, the organizational definition acknowledges that health literacy is connected to health equity. Health equity is the attainment of the highest level of health for all people. We will achieve health equity when everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Which factors can affect health literacy? Many different factors can affect a person's health literacy, including their: Knowledge of medical words Understanding of how the health care system works Ability to communicate with health care providers Ability to find health information, which may require computer skills Reading, writing, and number skills Personal factors, such as age, income, education, language abilities, and culture Physical or mental limitations Many of the same people who are at risk for limited health literacy also have health disparities. Health disparities are health differences between different groups of people. These groups may be based on age, race, gender, or other factors. Why is health literacy important? Health literacy is important because it can affect your ability to: Make good decisions about your health Get the medical care you need. This includes preventative care, which is care to prevent disease. Take your medicines correctly Manage a disease, especially a chronic disease Lead a healthy lifestyle Health literacy as part of an overall understanding of media literacy can help us prevent health problems, protect our health, and better manage health problems when they arise. Reference/additional resources Check out the U.S. government’s report which focuses on health literacy at health.gov. Finding and evaluating credible health information online is an important one. Check out the following resource to assist you: openmd.com. Check out the additional references at the end of this online resource entitled Finding Reliable Medical Information Online: https://openmd.com/guide/finding-credible-medical-sources A good resource with a lot of detailed information on health literacy can be accessed at MedLinePlus (through the National Library of Medicine). *Note that due to the government shutdown the information may not be completely up-to-date: medlineplus.gov.
