“Health Information Accessibility and Availability and Its Impact on the Health Literacy of Hispanics”

by Jennifer Stone | Xchanges 7.1

Conclusion

From the survey of health information at healthcare provider locations throughout a mid-sized Midwestern city and the research conducted, it appears that the inaccessibility and lack of printed health information materials as well as the shift of printed materials online could be affecting the health literacy of Hispanics, especially because of Hispanic people’s lack of access to the Internet.

Health literacy can have serious impacts on a person’s health, and various studies have demonstrated the correlation between poor health literacy and poor health (Dewalt, 2004; Kalichman, 2000; Schillinger, 2002). By improving accessibility and availability of printed health information materials, it could be possible to improve both people’s health literacy and their overall health. However, there are many other factors that contribute to health literacy, and because of this and the small scope of this study, more comprehensive studies need to be done in order to fully understand and learn how to fix the problem of health literacy in the United States, especially among Hispanics.