Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Health literacy: Taking action to improve safety and quality. Sydney: ACSQHC, 2014.
Levels of Health Literacy in Australia
According to 2006, Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics almost 60 per cent of adult Australians have lower levels of health literacy. This finding indicates that they may not be able to effectively make their choice when making healthcare decisions and it can be a barrier to safe and high quality health care.
Why Health Literacy is Important?
Lower levels of individual health literacy has been found to be associated with
Higher rates of use of emergency care and increased hospitalisation
More likelihood to experience an adverse outcome
Lower use of mammography and lower uptake of the influenza vaccine
Poorer ability to demonstrate taking medications appropriately
Poorer adherence to medication regimens
Poorer ability to interpret labels and health messages
Inadequate knowledge among consumers about their own disease or health condition
Overall poor health status among elderly
Increase risk of death among elderly
Individual health literacy is an important factor in preventing illness
Health Literacy Among Australians who Speak English as a Second Language
In 2006, almost three million Australians aged 15–74 years spoke English as a second language. The 2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey found that only 25 per cent of this group had achieved a level of individual health literacy described as adequate or better, compared with 44 per cent of people whose first spoken language was English.
Internationally, cultural literacy – the ability to understand and use culture and social identity to interpret and act on information – is referred to as a component of health literacy.
Language and culture affect the way that people make meaning out of their experiences, and influence their moral and emotional responses to physical and psychological conditions.
This can lead to differing cultural expectations and understanding of health-related issues.
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