Health Literacy of America’s Adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy

This August 2007 webcast shares findings from the Health Literacy of America’s Adults, which disseminates results from the health literacy component of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL).

Author(s)
Dr. Sandra L. Baxter (Moderator)
Dr. Sheida White
Ms. Toni Cordell
Author(s) Organizational Affiliation
National Institute for Literacy
National Center for Education Statistics
School of Medicine and Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Joint Commission
Publication Year
2007
Resource Type
Instructional Material
Product Type
Abstract

This August 2007 webcast shares findings from the Health Literacy of America’s Adults, which disseminates results from the health literacy component of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). The study was based on assessment tasks designed specifically to measure the health literacy of adults living in the United States and results were reported using four performance levels: Below Basic, Basic, Intermediate, and Proficient. The findings indicated that the majority of adults (53 percent) had intermediate health literacy, while 22 percent had Basic and 14 percent had Below Basic health literacy. Relationships between health literacy, reading and writing ability, and background variables were examined and reported.

Benefits and Uses

This webcast disseminates findings from the health literacy component of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), which indicated that 36 percent of adults in the United States had Basic or Below Basic health literacy. The panelists discuss the correlation between reading and writing ability and health literacy, especially as it relates to adult learners, and illustrate examples of the importance of health literacy. This webinar would be most useful to program administrators, teachers, and professional developers who are interested in addressing adult education students' health literacy needs through ABE, ESOL, and ASE services.

Required Training

None

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