The single best predictor of higher levels of health literacy is the act of reading every day—even more so than someone’s education—says a new report released in February by the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL).
The report, Health Literacy in Canada: A Healthy Understanding, reveals that daily reading outside of work is associated with higher health-literacy scores—one-third higher than the average for those aged 16 to 65 and more than 50% higher for those 66 and older.
In 2007, CCL released initial results from an international literacy survey that showed 60% of Canadians lacked the necessary skills to manage their health and health-care needs adequately.
A Healthy Understanding builds on these results and provides new, in-depth analysis examining the relationship between levels of health literacy and the reported health of Canadians.
The report found:
- Those with the lowest levels of health literacy are more than 2.5 times as likely to report being in poor or fair health as those with the highest levels.
- Across Canada, the prevalence of diabetes increases significantly as health literacy decreases. A similar link—though not as strong—is found with high blood pressure.
- The three most vulnerable populations for low levels of health literacy are seniors, the unemployed, and immigrants (especially those who don't speak French or English).
- Health literacy is more complex than previously thought; requiring prose, document and numeracy skills, often in combination for the same task.
