Promoting Health Literacy in the Inpatient Setting: Assessment and Interventions

Limited health literacy (LHL) is typically identified in the outpatient setting, at a physician’s office or clinic, and addressed through interventions designed to promote patient understanding of self-care and preventative measures. When a patient with limited health literacy is hospitalized, information needs shift to inpatient, discharge, and posthospitalization care. Hospitalized patients present unique challenges which may affect their abilities to ask questions and retain information. Hospital personnel may also face the challenges of identifying limited health literacy in inpatients and providing appropriate education, in addition to patient care. Implementing hospital-wide health literacy screening is a feasible solution to identifying LHL patients and providing interventions.     

FOODLIT-PRO: conceptual and empirical development of the food literacy wheel

Abstract

Pursuing food systems’ sustainability is crucial. Given the risk constituted by unhealthy diets, scarce research on food-related adjacent fields, and inconsistency across food literacy conceptualizations, this study aims to explore the constructs’ definition and develop a conceptual and empirical framework of food literacy. A quantitative approach was taken on previously obtained qualitative outcomes from 30 interviews with experts from food-related fields. Food literacy was defined by a four-dimension model: Cooking Skills, Preserve and Analyse, Choice and Acquisition, Search and Plan. The framework Food Literacy Wheel integrates the construct definition, food literacy determinants (Internal, External) and influential factors (Nutritional, Psychological, Health, Learning Contexts, Policy, Industry, Sustainability, Social and Cultural). Allowing a broader perspective of food literacy within major food systems, this study contributes with new insights for future instruments and interventions, paving the way to develop/implement food literacy-related multi-sectorial and multilevel actions.     

Story comprehension in pre-readers: understanding goal structure and generating inferences when a story has competing goals

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to explore pre-readers’ comprehension of a story with competing character goals. Fifty-eight children in three age groups (2½–3 years; 3–4 years; and 4–5 years) were read a story in which the protagonist’s goal was unstated and conflicted with the goal of the secondary character. Understanding of explicit story content was tested through a joint story retell, during which children were prompted to supply 10 story elements. Children in the two older groups supplied more than half of the elements; those in the youngest group obtained a significantly lower score, supplying an average of two elements. Responses to questions suggested that a majority of participants in each age group had accurately inferred the protagonist’s goal. However, few children demonstrated that they had linked actions with goal, an indication that they had difficulty grasping the goal structure of a story with competing goals.     

Promoting and Advancing Health Literacy at NYU Langone Health

NYU Langone Health is one of the nation’s preeminent academic medical centers. Their mission is to serve, teach, and discover. This is achieved through an integrated academic culture devoted to excellence in patient care, education, and research. NYU Langone promotes and advances health literacy through Patient and Family Education Services of the Patient Experience Department. Since the institution provides health care services to dozens of neighborhoods in New York City and beyond, health literacy, as well as cultural sensitivity, are top priorities.     

Kindergarten children's perspectives on play and learning

Practitioners in play-based learning contexts face the challenge of developing developmentally appropriate practices while meeting rigorous academic curriculum standards. To date, play and academic learning have been predominantly conceptualized from an adult perspective. Considering that children are key agents in classroom play contexts, it is important to understand their views on play and learning. The purpose of this study was to explore children’s perspectives on the connectedness between play and learning and understand whether their views are related to the play types observed in their classrooms. Photo elicitation interviews were conducted with 134 kindergarten students and 10 hours of observation were held in each of the 10 classrooms. Results indicate that children’s understanding of the connectedness between play and academic learning were related to teacher presence in play and the types of play environments available in their classrooms. Implications for practitioners and researchers alike are discussed.     

eHealth literacy in chronic disease patients: An item response theory analysis of the eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS)

BackgroundChronic disease patients are affected by low computer and health literacy, which negatively affects their ability to benefit from access to online health information.ObjectiveTo estimate reliability and confirm model specifications for eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) scores among chronic disease patients using Classical Test (CTT) and Item Response Theory techniques.MethodsA stratified sample of Black/African American (N = 341) and Caucasian (N = 343) adults with chronic disease completed an online survey including the eHEALS. Item discrimination was explored using bi-variate correlations and Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency. A categorical confirmatory factor analysis tested a one-factor structure of eHEALS scores. Item characteristic curves, in-fit/outfit statistics, omega coefficient, and item reliability and separation estimates were computed.ResultsA 1-factor structure of eHEALS was confirmed by statistically significant standardized item loadings, acceptable model fit indices (CFI/TLI > 0.90), and 70% variance explained by the model. Item response categories increased with higher theta levels, and there was evidence of acceptable reliability (ω = 0.94; item reliability = 89; item separation = 8.54).ConclusioneHEALS scores are a valid and reliable measure of self-reported eHealth literacy among Internet-using chronic disease patients.Practice implicationsProviders can use eHEALS to help identify patients’ eHealth literacy skills.     

Complementary and alternative therapies and health literacy in cancer patients

The aim was to determine health literacy and the use of complementary and alternative therapies (CATs) in patients with cancer and to investigate the relationship between CAT usage and health literacy. The study cohort consisted of 250 oncology patients. The Patient Interview Form and the Adult Literacy in Medicine Scale were used for collecting data. The use of at least one CAT was reported by 24% of the patients surveyed. Herbal therapies (32.6%) constituted the most popular method, and the most popular herbal therapy was Nigella sativa (54.6%). A total of 29.8% of the patients using CATs reported using herbal therapies for an enhanced immune system. Illiterate patients and those who live in rural areas/towns displayed low levels of health literacy. Healthcare professionals should investigate patients' use of complementary and alternative approaches, and health literacy should be improved so that patients can be informed regarding the possible benefits and disadvantages of CATs.