The findings from the ABS Health Literacy Survey also showed that for some domains there was variation by age group. Younger people aged 18–24 were almost twice as likely to strongly agree that they have access to social support compared with older people aged 65 and over (39% compared with 20%). In contrast, navigating the health care system appears to be more difficult for younger age groups. Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) people aged 18–24 stated that they found navigating the health care system difficult, and this decreased to 7.9% for those aged 65 and over.
There was also some variation in the results according to main language spoken in the home (figures 1a and 1b). Overall, the proportion of people who disagreed or strongly disagreed that they feel understood and supported by health care providers was similar for people who spoke English in the home (4.2%) and those who did not (5.2%). However, a higher proportion of people who spoke English in the home strongly agreed they feel understood and supported by health care providers (33%) than those who did not speak English in the home (20%).
Additionally, those who spoke English in the home were more likely to always find it easy to actively engage with health care providers (34%) than those who spoke a language other than English in the home (26%).
How can health literacy be improved?
The National Statement on Health Literacy (ACSQHC 2014b) acknowledges the importance of health literacy in enabling effective partnerships in health, and proposes actions that can be implemented within the health system to improve health literacy levels. This has been a driver for health literacy at the local level, with Local Health Networks, Primary Health Networks and community organisations designing and implementing locally appropriate health literacy interventions.
Some examples of activities being undertaken at the national and community levels to improve health literacy are provided below.
National initiatives
The National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions (Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council 2017) and the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (ACSQHC 2017) are 2 national initiatives that acknowledge and integrate health literacy as an important component of the health system.
Community initiatives
The Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health works closely with community, government and health professionals to represent people from culturally diverse backgrounds, particularly migrants and refugees. It provides a range of resources to address health literacy across all audiences, including:
- health literacy training courses—including the first health literacy course in Australia
- health translations directory—an online library of health information translated into more than 100 languages (in conjunction with the Victorian Government)
- Drop the Jargon day—a national day encouraging health professionals to think about using simple language with their clients, in place of medical terms and acronyms.
Where do I go for more information?
For more information on health literacy, see:
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