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1 Introduction
Pages 19-30

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From page 19...
... . H ealth consumers face numerous challenges as they seek health information, including the complexity of the health systems, the rising burden of chronic disease, the need to engage as partners in their care, and the proliferation of consumer information available from numerous and diverse sources.
From page 20...
... Health literacy, a newly emerging field of inquiry and practice, focuses on literacy concerns within the context of health. The committee defines health literacy as "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions" (Ratzan and Parker, 2000)
From page 21...
... Many health-related decisions are made in the marketplace. When reading nutritional information on food labels, for example, consumers are expected to understand that calculation of sugar content must include the sugar listed on the snack food label as well as the fructose and corn syrup.
From page 22...
... . An inability to speak English at all or an ability to speak with only limited proficiency presents additional obstacles to understanding health information and accessing health care.
From page 23...
... Of course, literacy demands differ by setting and by circumstance. The types of health information a person is exposed to changes as a person's life changes.
From page 24...
... . Identifying the extent of limited health literacy is also problematic because individuals tend not to tell their health-care providers about literacy problems that they encounter in the increasingly complex health system, including trouble understanding both printed materials and the meaning of discussions with providers.
From page 25...
... Department of Health and Human Services included improved consumer health literacy as Objective 11-2, and identified health literacy as an important component of health communication, medical product safety, and oral health (HHS, 2000)
From page 26...
... suggests that an interdisciplinary literacy model that addresses health, literacy, and culture could successfully guide development, diffusion, and adoption of appropriate information. In 2002 the IOM convened the Committee on Health Literacy for a project sponsored by the American Association of Family Physicians Foundation, the California HealthCare Foundation, the Commonwealth fund, the Kellogg Foundation, the Metlife Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, the Pfizer Corporation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
From page 27...
... Approaches might include research or policy initiatives, interventions, or collaborations that would promote health literacy. SCOPE OF THE REPORT This report explores what is known about the epidemiology of limited health literacy and promising approaches for increasing health literacy.
From page 28...
... Current research related to the associations of limited health literacy is summarized, both in terms of individual health behaviors and outcomes, and in terms of the financial, legal, and regulatory consequences in health contexts. This chapter contains extensive tables on the epidemiology of health literacy skills in various populations and the characteristics and associations of limited health literacy.
From page 29...
... 2001. The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS)
From page 30...
... 1993. Adult Literacy in America: A First Look at the Results of the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS)


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