Health literacy: more than reading a prescription

How would you do on a test about health literacy?

Would you fail? Barely pass? A recent report by the Institute of Medicine estimates that 90 million Americans have low health literacy skills. Are you one of them?

Health literacy is the ability to read and understand prescriptions and medical advice, and to take appropriate action regarding health information. It is the last part of the definition, the "action," that people often find particularly challenging. They know what they should do, but, for whatever reason, don't. They fail to comprehend how their own actions--or inaction--can significantly impact their health status.

Within the African-American community, low health literacy is a major contributor to the high incidence of disorders, including smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and kidney disease. Data on African-American health from the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services point out several disturbing facts.

How do we change these statistics? How do we improve the numbers so that Black health status shifts toward the positive? We must look at the power of health literacy, a power that each of us needs to use more decisively.

Good health literacy means not just having knowledge about health information, but being proactive about health. In this age of high-tech medicine, we tend to overlook basic, proven remedies for better health, including:

* Preventive screenings

* Regular checkups

* Adequate sleep

* A balanced diet and consistent exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle

A variety of programs emphasizes the importance of patient involvement in health care. One such program is The Partnership for Clear Health Communication, of which the National Medical Association (NMA) is a member. The Partnership promotes awareness and solutions about low health literacy through initiatives such as Ask Me 3, which outlines three simple but essential questions that patients should ask their health care providers:

* What is my main problem?

* What do I need to do?

* Why is it important for me to do this?

The NMA is also a partner of the CDC's National Diabetes Education Program, which enables health organizations to help patients become more knowledgeable about diabetes prevention and management. In this and other areas, an abundance of health information is available. Consumers must take the initiative to use it.

Health literacy means more than being able to read a prescription and follow it, though that is critical. It means playing an active role in improving one's health, and incorporating effective practices of healthy living. Doing so could dramatically lessen the chance of even needing a prescription in the first place.

Health FACTS

* More than 25 percent of Black men and 18 percent of Black women currently smoke.

* Among Blacks aged 20 and over, 66 percent of men and 79 percent of women are overweight.

* 1 in 3 Blacks has high blood pressure or hypertension, a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease and kidney damage.

* Compared to Whites. Blacks are nearly twice as likely to have a first-time stroke, and almost one-and-half times more likely to die from the condition.

* The prevalence of diabetes among Blacks is doubled that of the U.S. population as a whole.

* Blacks are 13 percent of the population but are about 30 percent of those with kidney failure.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning