Measuring the health literacy of the Upper Midwest.

Caitlin J Bakker,Jonathan B Koffel,Nicole R Theis-Mahon

doi:10.5195/jmla.2017.105

Caitlin J Bakker, Jonathan B Koffel + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2017.105

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Abstract

ObjectivesHealth literacy—the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information—is a major determinant of an individual’s overall health and health care utilization. In this project, the authors examined predictors of health literacy levels, including numeracy and graphic literacy, among an adult population in the Upper Midwest.MethodsThe research was conducted at the Minnesota State Fair. Three previously validated scales were used to assess health literacy: Newest Vital Sign, the General Health Numeracy Test, and questions from Galesic and Garcia-Retamero’s Graph Literacy Scale. Demographic information—such as age, educational attainment, zip code, and other potential predictors and modifiers—was collected. Multivariate linear regression was conducted to examine the independent effects of educational attainment, race, ethnicity, gender, and rural or urban location on overall health literacy and scores on each of the individual instruments.ResultsA total of 353 Upper Midwest residents completed the survey, with the majority being white, college-educated, and from an urban area. Having a graduate or professional degree or being under the age of 21 were associated with increased health literacy scores, while having a high school diploma or some high school education, being Asian American, or being American Indian/Alaska Native were associated with lower health literacy scores.ConclusionAdvanced health literacy skills, including the ability to calculate and compare information, were problematic even in well-educated populations. Understanding numerical and graphical information was found to be particularly difficult, and more research is needed to understand these deficits and how best to address them.

Highlights

Health literacy is the “the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand the basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions” and effectively function in the health care environment [1]
Between one-third and one-half of adult Americans are estimated to have low health literacy [1, 2], while recent research from the National Center for Education Statistics notes that only 12% of American adults show the highest level of jmla.mlanet.org
Lower rates of health literacy have been found among the elderly, minority populations, persons of limited financial means, and those with less than a high school education [2]

Summary

Introduction

Health literacy is the “the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand the basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions” and effectively function in the health care environment [1]. These skills are central to patient-centered care as they inform the ability to engage in the decision-making process, such as deciding when an injury can be treated at home versus when an injury requires a trip to urgent care or understanding how and when an antibiotic should be taken. Low health literacy is associated with limited understanding of medical information, poor health outcomes, and poor use of health care services, including increased hospitalization and emergency care [4, 5], decreased use of preventative services [6], poor health behaviors [7, 8], and inability to take medication as prescribed [9, 10].

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