A growing importance of health awareness is one of the indisputable indicators for a nation which lead to the introduction of the term health literacy in America during 1970’s.1
It deals with empowering the public to meet one’s demands as well as their family and community’s in understanding the various aspects of health, the factors influencing them and knowing corrective measures to be taken in overcoming them.2
An individual with an adequate level of health literacy will have the ability to take responsibility of one owns health as well as family’s health. 3
Parker on Health Literacy of Americans has quoted ‘‘roots of health literacy problems have grown as health practitioners and healthcare system providers expect patients to assume …show more content…
“But there is now more realization that even though many people do not see these diseases as a problem, they could still be having an important impact on general health”.8
A global health transition is currently underway. The burden of diseases is increasing rapidly in the developing world, as a result of unhealthy lifestyles or adverse physical and social environments. Risk factors like unhealthy nutrition over a prolonged period, smoking, physical inactivity, excessive use of alcohol, and psychosocial stress are among the major lifestyle issues 9
Theory and experience as reported in The World Health Report showed that community-based programmes should be planned run and evaluated according to clear principles and rules, collaborate with all sectors of the community, and maintain close contact with the national authorities. 10
Communicable and non-communicable diseases in developing countries are once again soaring, not only because of the AIDS epidemic, but because of the emergence of drug-resistant strains of such diseases as TB and malaria. Communicable diseases claim more than 14 million lives a year and account for about 80 percent of the difference in life expectancy between people in rich and poor …show more content…
Patients with poor health literacy levels have difficulties like reading labels on a pill bottle and interpreting blood sugar values or educational broachers or informed-consent documents. Patients with poor health literacy not only have difficulties in reading but also in oral communication. Poor communication was the most commonly reported contributing factor. Poor health literacy is more common among patients who have low educational attainment and among immigrants, older patients, and racial and ethnic
It deals with empowering the public to meet one’s demands as well as their family and community’s in understanding the various aspects of health, the factors influencing them and knowing corrective measures to be taken in overcoming them.2
An individual with an adequate level of health literacy will have the ability to take responsibility of one owns health as well as family’s health. 3
Parker on Health Literacy of Americans has quoted ‘‘roots of health literacy problems have grown as health practitioners and healthcare system providers expect patients to assume …show more content…
“But there is now more realization that even though many people do not see these diseases as a problem, they could still be having an important impact on general health”.8
A global health transition is currently underway. The burden of diseases is increasing rapidly in the developing world, as a result of unhealthy lifestyles or adverse physical and social environments. Risk factors like unhealthy nutrition over a prolonged period, smoking, physical inactivity, excessive use of alcohol, and psychosocial stress are among the major lifestyle issues 9
Theory and experience as reported in The World Health Report showed that community-based programmes should be planned run and evaluated according to clear principles and rules, collaborate with all sectors of the community, and maintain close contact with the national authorities. 10
Communicable and non-communicable diseases in developing countries are once again soaring, not only because of the AIDS epidemic, but because of the emergence of drug-resistant strains of such diseases as TB and malaria. Communicable diseases claim more than 14 million lives a year and account for about 80 percent of the difference in life expectancy between people in rich and poor …show more content…
Patients with poor health literacy levels have difficulties like reading labels on a pill bottle and interpreting blood sugar values or educational broachers or informed-consent documents. Patients with poor health literacy not only have difficulties in reading but also in oral communication. Poor communication was the most commonly reported contributing factor. Poor health literacy is more common among patients who have low educational attainment and among immigrants, older patients, and racial and ethnic