Why Both Matter and How We Can Improve Health for Everyone
Health literacy and social factors play a big role in our overall health. Health literacy means how well people can find, understand, and use health information to make good decisions about their health (Sorensen et al., 2012). Social factors, also called social determinants of health, include the economic, social, and environmental conditions that affect our health (Marmot & Wilkinson, 2006).
Why Health Literacy Matters
Imagine you go to the doctor and they give you a bunch of medical terms you don't understand. If you can't follow their advice, you might not get better. This is why health literacy is important. People with low health literacy find it hard to access and use health information, which can lead to health problems (Berkman et al., 2011). For example, if someone doesn't understand how to take their medication properly, it could make their condition worse.
Social factors are like the building blocks of our health. These include things like having a good job, a safe place to live, and access to education. If someone lives in a poor neighborhood with limited access to healthy food or healthcare, they are more likely to have health issues (Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014). Addressing these social factors can help improve health for everyone.
Combining Health Literacy and Social Factors
To truly improve health, we need to focus on both health literacy and social factors. For instance, if a community clinic provides clear and simple health information, people will understand how to take care of themselves better. At the same time, if the community has better housing and job opportunities, it will also help improve their health (Kickbusch & Maag, 2008).
Creating a Healthier Future
One idea to improve health is the "health literate care model." This means healthcare providers should make health information easy to understand and support patients in making health decisions (Koh et al., 2013). For example, using plain language in instructions and offering resources in multiple languages can help everyone.
Conclusion
In summary, understanding health literacy and addressing social factors are key to improving health for all. By making health information easy to understand and improving living conditions, we can help people lead healthier lives. It's about giving everyone a fair chance to be healthy, no matter their background (Nutbeam, 2008).
Berkman, N. D., Sheridan, S. L., Donahue, K. E., Halpern, D. J., & Crotty, K. (2011). Low health literacy and health outcomes: An updated systematic review. Annals of Internal Medicine, 155(2), 97–107.
Braveman, P., & Gottlieb, L. (2014). The social determinants of health: It's time to consider the causes of the causes. Public Health Reports, 129(1), 19–31.
Kickbusch, I., & Maag, D. (2008). Health literacy. In H. Moser, D. Müller, & J. T. Schulz (Eds.), Health and literacy (pp. 1–12). Peter Lang Publishing Group.
Koh, H. K., Brach, C., Harris, L. M., & Parchman, M. L. (2013). A proposed 'health literate care model' would constitute a systems approach to improving patients' engagement in care. Health Affairs, 32(9), 1616–1622.
Marmot, M., & Wilkinson, R. G. (2006). Social determinants of health (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Nutbeam, D. (2008). The evolving concept of health literacy. Social Science & Medicine, 67(12), 2072–2078.
Sorensen, K., Van den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z., & Brand, H. (2012). Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 80.