Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107350

Missy C. Fleming, PhD and Kusuma Madamala, PhD MPH. Medicine and Public Health, American Medical Association, 515 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60610, 312 464 5315, Missy_Fleming@ama-assn.org

Problem Statement

Close to 90 million adults in the United States have difficulty accurately and consistently locating, matching, and integrating information. Most people with limited literacy also have limited health literacy. Health literacy is the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Adults with low health literacy are less able to share in making decisions about their health care; they report lower health status, experience higher rates of hospitalization, and incur additional health expenditures that range between $29 – 73 billion. Statistics related to rates of adolescent literacy are limited and estimates of adolescent low health literacy are almost nonexistent.

Methodology

To augment our limited understanding of adolescent low health literacy, the investigators completed an exploratory study that was designed to answer two research questions that asked what the health literacy problems are for adolescents and how clinicians recognize and address these problems. Two expert discussion groups were held; one group included literacy educators and another group included physicians who treat adolescent patients. Each group lasted for 90 minutes and participants received an incentive. Computer-assisted technology allowed participants from around the country to join the discussion groups by using their own telephones. A facilitator directed the interaction as both groups discussed the consequences of adolescent low health literacy, the ways in which young people interact with health information, their ability to evaluate health information, markers of patients who need assistance, and the role of parents.

Results

The literacy educators discussed young people's ability to obtain, process, and use information to make decisions including the barriers to functional literacy, the ability to comprehend and apply print-based information, visual information, and numeric calculation and calibration. Physicians described adolescent patients who do not have content knowledge about their diseases including their limited capacity to obtain, understand, and apply health information. The Internet has a high literacy burden for adolescents who have comprehension difficulties.

Conclusions

Members of both discussion groups recommended speaking directly to adolescents as a next step; young people with a chronic condition may offer important insights. Evaluating a health system intervention for young people with low health literacy has the potential to identify some best practices including the application of adult low health literacy techniques. A national research agenda to address this situation could be developed.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe educators' and physicians' different perspectives on adolescent health literacy
• Identify possible markers of adolescent low health literary
• Discuss low health literacy as a possible contributor to adolescent medical non-compliance

Keywords: Health Literacy,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.