Health Literacy And Its Effect On Health - 1501 Words

Literacy is the ability someone has to read and write. Most of us are taught this skill when we are young. Those of us who learn this during childhood seem to forget this is a privilege not everybody has. The people who do not has this advantage are affected in more ways than we think. Especially when it comes to their health, this understanding is known as health literacy. â€Å"Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions† (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). One of the major populations affected by their decline in health literacy is the elderly. Some of the factors influencing health literacy include age, reading skills and health beliefs. Inadequate health literacy is associated with increasing health disparities and poor use of health care services which lead to poor health outcomes, unsuccessful self-care and among elderly persons, poor overall health status and high mortality rates. In addition to basic literacy skills, health literacy includes being knowledgeable on health topics. Individuals with inadequate health literacy frequently lack awareness or are misinformed on the human body along with the nature and etiology of disease. Without knowing this they may not comprehend the correlation between lifestyle factors for example, diet and exercise and countless health outcomes. Health literacy is a broad name forShow MoreRelatedHealth Literacy And Its Effects On Hispanic Population With Diabetes1715 Words   |  7 PagesHealth Literacy and its effects on Hispanic Population with Diabetes Background Health Literacy In 2003 The United States Department of Education completed the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) and for the first and only time, so far, it also included items to measure the Health literacy level of adults in the U.S. This assessment intended to measure the capacity of adult individuals to sucessfully comprehend the healthcare system, basic understanding of medical conditions and all knowledgeRead MoreHealth Literacy And Its Effect On Patient Safety Essay1871 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Health literacy is the ability to read, comprehend, and utilize healthcare information in order to make health related decisions based on the individual s interpretation of this information (Eadie, 2014). 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