Measuring the health literacy of the Upper Midwest

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.

Health Literacy and Regional Heterogeneities in China: A Population-Based Study

“…This study found that health literacy was strongly associated with education. A higher education level was independently associated with a higher health literacy level, which is consistent with the conclusions of previous studies ( 28 – 30 ). A better-educated person has a stronger ability to understand, analyse, and judge scientific views, making it easier to acquire and understand health literacy-related knowledge.…”

Impact of Health Literacy on Self-Reported Health Outcomes in Spine Patients

“…However, this investigation found that only a minority of patients had less than high school education. This implies that level of education is not an absolute reflection of heath literacy, which is consistent with prior studies 31,32. Within this subset of patients, those with limited health literacy but more than high school education may be at particular risk because health care providers may be more inclined to overestimate their level of comprehension.…”

“…This implies that level of education is not an absolute reflection of heath literacy, which is consistent with prior studies. 31,32 Within this subset of patients, those with limited health literacy but more than high school education may be at particular risk because health care providers may be more inclined to overestimate their level of comprehension. This further solidifies the notion that health literacy is more complex than general literacy skills such as readability.…”

Effects of Sunday Liquor Sales Legalization on Alcohol Policy Attitudes and Alcohol Purchasing Behavior

“…In addition, 36% of participants reported binge drinking in the past 30 days, which is higher than the reported prevalence of binge drinking (21.3%) among Minnesotans in 2016 (Minnesota Department of Health, n.d.). These differences are not surprising when considering that our sample is self-selected; people with higher educational attainment are more likely to participate in surveys (Bakker et al, 2017), and drinkers may be more interested in a study on Sunday alcohol sales. At the same time, our data were collected in a novel setting that draws from a variety of regions in Minnesota (26% of zip codes).…”