How widespread are health literacy issues?

All four nations in the UK have identified improving health literacy as a priority.

Adults are considered to be ‘functional’ in literacy (i.e. they can function in everyday life) if their level of literacy is at Level 1 (GCSE grade D–F) and above. The majority of adults in England are in the 11–14 years old reading age group. This means that in a health setting they will be able to:

• understand the words on more complex posters and simply worded leaflets
• understand a short formal letter, note or form, and a telephone call to 111
• describe in more detail the degree and type of pain and understand what they have been prescribed by a clinician.

In the different countries that make up the UK, around half of the adult population (18–65) do not have adequate literacy skills to understand routine health information. This means that four out of a group of eight DAFNE participants are likely to find reading written information challenging.

Adults are considered to be ‘functional’ in numeracy (i.e. they can function in everyday life) if they are at Entry Level 3 (typical of an 11 year old) and above.

Almost a quarter of the UK adult population is below this level. The majority of adults in England have the numeracy capabilities of a 9 year old.

This means that in a health setting they will be able to:

• understand appointment times using the 12-hour clock; e.g. 9:15 but not 14:15
• measure weight, height and temperature using straightforward scales and metric measures
• understand simple instructions about medication, timings and dosages; e.g. take 5 ml three times a day after food.

This means that two out of a group of eight DAFNE course participants are likely to find the maths skills involved in DAFNE challenging.

The problem of poor health literacy affects a significant proportion of the population. Taking that into account, organisations that deliver health services or provide health information to people need to ensure that the information they provide, and the way it is communicated, is at an appropriate level for the majority of the population to understand.

If you would like to read more evidence about health literacy, there are some additional references at the end of the unit.