Health Literacy
Abstract
Health literacy is “the ability of an individual to access, understand, and use
health-related information and services to
make appropriate health decisions.” For a
woman with diabetes, health literacy means
understanding the importance of tracking
her blood sugar levels and knowing how to
do so. For a man with high cholesterol,
health literacy means being aware of the
warnings on his prescription bottle, as well
as understanding the importance of changing
his diet. For all individuals, their level
of health literacy directly influences the
quality of care they receive. Recent research
has found health literacy to be a better
predictor of health status than age, ethnicity,or socioeconomic status.