Health Literacy
ANSWERS
The achievement of a level of knowledge, personal skills, and confidence to take action to improve personal and community health by changing personal lifestyles and living conditions is referred to as health literacy. Thus, health literacy entails more than the ability to read pamphlets and schedule appointments. Health literacy is critical to empowerment because it improves people’s access to health information and their ability to use it effectively.” Glossary of Health Promotion Terms, 1998.
Improving health literacy in populations lays the groundwork for citizens to take an active role in improving their health, participate successfully in community health action, and press governments to meet their responsibilities in addressing health and health equity. Meeting the health literacy needs of the most disadvantaged and marginalized societies will accelerate progress in reducing health and other inequities. Efforts to increase health literacy will ensure that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s social, economic, and environmental goals are fully realized.
QUESTION
Health Literacy
The US Department of Health and Human Services defines health literacy as the “degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions”.
Post a no less than 400 words reflection discussion about what you learned related to health literacy. Use the content from the CDC tutorial and from the readings.
1) Discuss what measure you can take to address health literacy in your everyday work.
2) How does health literacy relate to the course learning outcomes?
You must include citations and references to support your position.