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The Relationship Between Literacy and Health

Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1943-1944.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Recent reports from the Institute of Medicine and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have brought increased attention to the association between literacy and health and the potential role of literacy in disparities in health care and health outcomes.^1-3 Investigations conducted mainly during the past 15 years have found that adults with low literacy generally have less health-related knowledge, manifest poorer control of their chronic illnesses, are less likely to receive preventive health services, and are more likely to be hospitalized.¹

Although the association between low literacy and adverse health outcomes has been extensively documented for a range of health conditions, it is not present for all health conditions that have been studied, and many other important health issues have not been examined at all. Furthermore, we still lack an understanding of whether low literacy directly causes adverse health outcomes or is just one of several measurable markers (such . . . [Full Text of this Article]

LITERACY, HEALTH LITERACY, OR FUNCTIONAL HEALTH LITERACY?


WHAT DOES THIS NEW STUDY ADD TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LITERACY AND HEALTH?

DOES LOW LITERACY LEAD TO WORSE HEALTH?

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Darren A. DeWalt, MD, MPH; Michael P. Pignone, MD, MPH

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