Health Literacy in Canada: A Healthy Understanding
Author: TS Murray
Publisher:
Published: 2008
Total Pages:
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKIn September 2007, the Canadian Council on Learning published Health Literacy in Canada: Initial results from the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey.1 From this report we learned: 1) While Canadians have higher levels of health literacy than Americans, 60% of adults in Canada lack the capacity to obtain, understand and act upon health information and services and to make appropriate health decisions on their own; 2) Average health literacy varies significantly by province and territory and between different population sub-groups within Canada, especially among seniors. Canadian adults with less than a high-school education perform well below adults with higher levels of education and this gap widens with age; 3) Differences in literacy and numeracy skills exert a profound influence on a range of social, educational and economic outcomes. Differences in average health-literacy skill seem to be associated with large differences in perceived general health status. The analysis presented in A Healthy Understanding builds on the initial results presented in Health Literacy in Canada. An individual's level of health literacy--which encompasses education level and ability to learn about health--is strongly connected to the health they enjoy. Simply put, good health-literacy skills can lead to good health, for the individual and for the population at large.