Today, Andy Zhang, Decoda’s Summer Library and Information Management Technician, shares his research on the importance of literacy on public health. 

INTRODUCTION

Literacy improves Public health. Prioritizing literacy spending ensures a healthy and productive population.

PREVENTION

Strong literacy skills provide a protective effect on the health of a population.

A population that demonstrates a high level of health literacy is more likely to have:

• equal access to health resources
• avoid risky health behaviours like smoking
• participate more readily in population health measures like vaccination programs.

Health resources have historically not been evenly distributed, with disadvantaged populations underutilizing clinics, programs and preventive measures. This may sound like we are saving resources, but when primary care and prevention are underutilized, more expensive resources like emergency services and hospital services see a sharp spike in utilization. The minor health problems that could easily be addressed early on can balloon into chronic, life-altering issues when left neglected. This serves as both a risk for the individual in question and also a drain on the type of resources that are hardest and most expensive to develop.

The snowball effects of ill health means that literacy investment can be a cost-effective method to improving population health.

Health literacy helps communities develop healthy lifestyles; it allows a population to be more informed about the risks associated with life choices. People are less likely to start a smoking habit if the health risks are at the forefront of their minds. If the choice to smoke is paired with addiction, lung cancer and reduced cardiovascular performance, it suddenly looks a lot less appealing. On the other hand, protective measures and interventions are much more accepted by highly literate communities. Programs like vaccine rollouts or regular physical activity have much higher acceptance when the benefits can be adequately communicated and understood by the population. Literacy helps guide people towards living an informed and healthier life.

TREATMENT

One of the most turbulent times can be the discovery of a major health issue, life can grind to a halt and the stress of navigating through the healthcare system can be overwhelming: with the stress often making the health issue worse! Health literacy can help patients navigate the complicated world of treatment:

• helping them understand where to go
• who they need to see
• why they need to do the things they need to do

Literacy helps patients follow treatment plans. In the direct lead up to surgery and the recovery afterwards, it is important to undertake diet restrictions, medication schedules and often physical therapy. Being able to understand the doctor’s instructions in these situations can reduce the stress for the patient, but often makes it more likely for patients to follow through with their care plans. Being able to navigate through the maze-like depths of hospitals to find all the appointments you need to go to is an important skill to have. Understanding the reasons for treatments can also improve compliance; knowing that your ability to touch your toes is reliant on how often you do post-operation stretches can be a major motivator. Literacy can impact the quality of post-operation recovery through enhanced compliance with post-operation recovery plans and decreased health system navigation stress.

POST-TREATMENT

Just as treatment does not end after a hospital visit, the need for health literacy remains constant in order to:

• catch the warning signs of relapse or other issues
• be able to understand drug schedules
• to access community resources

After leaving the hospital, patients often get even more information to deal with, not less. There may be follow-up appointments like physiotherapy, new prescriptions to fill and sometimes medical bills to sort out. Managing all of this can be overwhelming, especially if it’s hard to understand medication instructions or how insurance works. Health literacy helps people not only handle these tasks but also find and use community resources when they need extra support. By improving health literacy, patients are better equipped to navigate their recovery and return to their previous quality of life.

WHAT WE CAN DO?

Organizations can support patients by using plain language to make health information easier to understand. Better communication at every stage of care can also help patients feel more informed about their health and more confident in navigating the healthcare system.

Individuals can help themselves by staying informed about their health, going for regular check-ups and building their reading comprehension skills.

Literacy is so much more than just reading and writing; it is the skill of understanding the world around us. Especially, if we find ourselves needing medical assistance, it can help us navigate prevention, treatment and post-treatment. Even if we never personally need medical treatment, being part of an educated population can confer other benefits, such as upstream care or herd immunity for highly infectious diseases. Health literacy is an important economic investment that governments make in service to their populations.

RESOURCES

Staying Healthy For Beginners: An English Learner’s Guide to Health Care and Healthy Living 

What is health literacy

World Health Organization on Health Literacy

WORKS CITED

Bostock S, Steptoe A. “Association between low functional health literacy and mortality in older adults: longitudinal cohort study.” BMJ 2012; 344 :e1602 doi:10.1136/bmj.e1602

Eichler, Klaus et al. “The costs of limited health literacy: a systematic review.” International journal of public health, vol. 54,5 (2009): 313-24. doi:10.1007/s00038-009-0058-2

Fenta, Eneyew Talie et al. “Health literacy and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance worldwide: A systematic review.” SAGE open medicine, vol. 11 20503121231197869. 9 Oct. 2023, doi:10.1177/20503121231197869

“Health Literacy in Canada: A Healthy Understanding.” 2008, (Ottawa: 2008).

“Health literacy.” World Health Organization (WHO), 5 August 2024, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/health-literacy. Accessed 25 July 2025.

Rasu, R. , , Bawa, W. Agbor, , Suminski, R. , , Snella, K. , and Warady, B. . “Health Literacy Impact on National Healthcare Utilization and Expenditure”, International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 4, 11, 2015, 747-755. doi: 10.15171/ijhpm.2015.151

Sørensen, K., et al. “Health literacy and public health: a systematic review and integration of definitions and models.” BMC Public Health, 2012. BMC Public Health.

Stormacq, Coraline; Wosinski, Jacqueline; Boillat, Evelyne; Van den Broucke, Stephan. “Effects of health literacy interventions on health-related outcomes in socioeconomically disadvantaged adults living in the community: a systematic review.” JBI Evidence Synthesis, 18(7):p 1389-1469, July 2020. | DOI: 10.11124/JBISRIR-D-18-00023