People who struggle with poor reading and math skills experience problems understanding instructions from health care providers and adhering to treatment, according to a new research review.
"There is evidence that limited health literacy is associated with poorer access to health information and knowledge about the long-term benefits of preventive health care," said Christian von Wagner, Ph.D., a research fellow in epidemiology and public health at University College London.
Based on surveys conducted in the United States, more than 75 million adults report limited health literacy — the ability to find and understand basic health information needed to make health care decisions. In addition to basic literacy and math skills, culture and knowledge of health topics influence a person's health literacy level.
The review appears in the October issue of the journal Health Education & Behavior.
Using previously published research, lead author von Wagner and colleagues examined how health literacy levels influence a person's ability and motivation to perform actions like finding health care, talking to providers and managing chronic illness.
"Adults with limited literacy often find it difficult to understand instructions about how to engage in unfamiliar health actions," such as performing self-administered home-based screening tests, von Wagner said. He also noted that limited health literacy — and the shame and frustration that might accompany it — also negatively affects a patient's ability to share decisions with health care providers.