Health Literacy: an Essential Component of Education
September 25, 2009 - The National Education Association Health Information Network (NEAHIN) recently published the proceedings from its symposium on health literacy. The symposium, held in January of this year, gathered 30 experts and leaders from the fields of education, health, and philanthropy to begin a dialogue about what kind of K-12 educational infrastructure will be needed to prepare current and future students to participate in the 21st century’s health care systems.
According to the proceedings, what makes health literacy so critical in today’s and tomorrow’s complex world of health information and services is the simple fact that consumers, more than ever, have both the opportunity and responsibility to manage their own and their family’s health care. To do this competently, health consumers must process lots of information about services, providers and treatment options; have the skills to problem-solve, make sound decisions and access the myriad of resources available to support them through the process; and, additionally, navigate the often tough financial decisions derived from obtaining health care.
But what exactly is health literacy? As defined by the National Health Education Standards, health literacy is the capacity of an individual to obtain, interpret and understand basic health information and services and the competence to use such information and services in ways that are health-enhancing. The standards establish expectations for what students should know and be able to do by grades 2, 5, 8 and 12 to promote personal, family and community health, and provide a framework for curriculum development and selection, instruction and student assessment in health education. The standards include, for instance, that students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
The symposium proceedings state that schools can play a major role in making students health literate. Yet, promoting health literacy within schools can be challenging in an environment in which schools are focused on educating a diverse student population, increasing student achievement, and at the same time, addressing many other priorities.
So what can be done for students to achieve health literacy? First, when addressing health literacy among students, distinct aspects need to be considered, including that general literacy is a problem for many adolescents. Second, school-based health education that is aligned to health education standards can better address the knowledge and skills needed to achieve health literacy among students. In addition, the Coordinated School Health model promulgated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides an environment in which students can practice and have healthy behaviors reinforced. Nevertheless, the proceedings acknowledge that schools alone cannot be held accountable for preparing students to be health literate; other systems including health care, government, philanthropy, businesses, etc., must also play a role.
Source: "Health Literacy in the 21st Century: Setting an Education Agenda," Symposium Proceedings: Executive Summary, NEAHIN, June 2009."