Abstract
Mathematics self-efficacy plays an important role in the performance of quantitative tasks. The objective of this study was to examine the role of mathematics self-efficacy in numeracy and health numeracy among immigrants (60 Mandarin-speaking and 60 Kikuyu-speaking immigrants to Canada) for whom English was a second language (ESL). Two French Kit numeracy tasks (the addition, and the addition and subtraction correction tasks) constituted objective measures of numeracy, and the numeracy component of a health literacy instrument (The Short Test of Functional Health Literacy for Adults [S-TOFHLA]) constituted the health numeracy measure. We measured math self-efficacy using the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES) and the Subjective Numeracy Scale (SNS). All measures were presented in English. Kikuyu speakers had lower math self-efficacy ( p < .05) compared with Mandarin speakers ( p < .05). Mandarin speakers outperformed Kikuyu speakers in numeracy ( p < .001) and health numeracy ( p < .023) skills. In multiple regression analyses, 32% to 57 % of the variance in objective numeracy was explained by language, residency in Canada, and self-efficacy, adjusting for the other predictor variables; self-efficacy and format of numeric health information (numbers only vs. numbers with detailed text) consistently predicted health numeracy. Mathematics self-efficacy may be an important factor in numeracy, but not as important in health numeracy for Kikuyu- and Mandarin-speaking immigrants for whom English is a second language. Factors contributing to low numeracy may differ from those explaining low health numeracy in ESL immigrants.
Highlights
Numeracy is the range of skills, strategies, and beliefs that people have or acquire to effectively interact with numbers in their daily lives (Gal, 2000)
We explored the role of mathematics selfefficacy on numeracy and health numeracy among immigrants who spoke different primary languages (Mandarin and Kikuyu), and with English as their second language
We tested the role of math self-efficacy in the performance of basic numeracy and health numeracy tasks among English was a second language (ESL) immigrants to Canada
Summary
Numeracy is the range of skills, strategies, and beliefs that people have or acquire to effectively interact with numbers in their daily lives (Gal, 2000). Health numeracy is a related but distinct concept that refers to the capacity to access and use numeric information in a health context (Nelson, Reyna, Fagerlin, Lipkus, & Peters, 2008; Schapira, Walker, & Sedivy, 2009). Studies show that immigrants have low levels of numeracy and health numeracy. In the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey, immigrants in Canada performed lower on numeracy compared with native-born Canadians (Statistics Canada, 2005); similar numeracy and health numeracy gaps exist between immigrant and non-immigrant populations in the United States (Choi, Rush, & Henry, 2013). Low levels of numeracy and health numeracy might explain immigrants’ worse health outcomes compared with the general population (Kreps & Sparks, 2008; Zanchetta & Poureslami, 2006)
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