Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 May;39(3):441-50.
doi: 10.5993/AJHB.39.3.16.

Health literacy, information seeking, and trust in information in Haitians

Erica I Lubetkin  1 , Emily C Zabor  2 , Kathleen Isaac  3 , Debra Brennessel  4 , M Margaret Kemeny  5 , Jennifer L Hay  6
Affiliations

Health literacy, information seeking, and trust in information in Haitians

Erica I Lubetkin et al. Am J Health Behav. 2015 May.

Abstract

Objectives: To assess heath literacy, health information seeking, and trust in health-related information among Haitian immigrants seen in primary care.

Methods: Health literacy was measured by the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS); items on health information use were from the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey.

Results: BHLS scores differed according to age, education, and survey language. Participants with lower levels of health literacy tended to be more likely to place "a lot" or "some" trust in family and friends and religious organizations and leaders as sources of information about health or medical topics.

Conclusions: Constructing a culturally-tailored and appropriate intervention regarding health promotion requires understanding how the population accesses and conveys health information.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Ratzan SC, Parker RM. Introduction. In: Selden CR, Zorn M, Ratzan SC, Parker RM, editors. National Library of Medicine Current Bibliographies in Medicine: Health Literacy. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services; 2000. NLM Pub. No. CBM 2000-1.
    1. Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE, et al. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No 199. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2011. Health literacy interventions and outcomes: an updated systematic review. Prepared by RTI International–University of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center under contract No. 290-2007-10056-I. AHRQ Publication Number 11-E-006. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bostock S, Steptoe A. Association between low functional health literacy and mortality in older adults: longitudinal cohort study. BMJ. 2012;344:e1602. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Smith SK, Simpson JM, Trevena LJ, McCaffery KJ. Factors associated with informed decisions and participation in bowel cancer screening among adults with lower education and literacy. Med Decis Making. 2014;34(6):756–772. - PubMed
    1. Andrulis DP, Siddiqui NJ, Purtle J, et al. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: Advancing Health Equity for Racially and Ethnically Diverse Populations. Washington, DC: Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; 2010.

Publication types