The Importance Of Health Literacy And Health?

Without adequate health literacy, patients face serious difficulties accessing, understanding and making effective use of health information. Many studies show that there is a strong, independent link between health literacy and health outcomes, with lower health-literacy levels associated with increased emergency department use, hospitalization, self-reported physical health problems and mortality (Patient Times, 2004). Diabetes is a complex health condition that can affect the entire body, and without proper education and management, can be fatal. Diabetes Australia states that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are three times more likely to have type 2 diabetes then non-indigenous Australians. In the 2004-05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey which is the largest health survey of Indigenous Australians conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (sample size; 10,439 persons), showed that Diabetes continues to be a significant health issue among Indigenous Australians, with an overall prevalence of 6% in 2004-05 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012).

The importance of health literacy can be seen as the desired outcome of health promotion – a concept based on the principles of primary health care which moves the focus from illness and treatment to sustainable well-being (Hefford et al, 2005). The Ottawa Charter for health promotion (1986) outlines five key strategies to promote health including implementing healthy policies, building supportive environments, strengthening community action, and developing personal skills. It emphatically values democratic participation, community development, and empowerment by which “disadvantaged individuals and groups are enabled to represent themselve...

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...oing set of interventions is required which can only be provided by a skilled multi-disciplinary workforce, able to sustain effective long-term treating relationships and links with other providers. General practices are not able to meet these needs fully (Keys Young 1997, cited in Dwyer et al 2004), while Indigenous-specific agencies are designed to provide the basic health infrastructure required for effective service delivery. Secondly, for several reasons including historical and cultural ones, mainstream health services are not generally capable of meeting the needs of Indigenous Australians and this makes it hard for Indigenous people to use them. Many Indigenous Australians will go without primary health care (Keys Young 1997, cited in Dwyer et al, 2004) if a service that specifically welcomes them and responds appropriately to their needs is not available.