A couple of additional comments on this issue...

I would have to say that there really is not adequate empirical data on this
topic. The NAALS data is a bit dated and we need to question who is included
in the PEW RDD surveys given the increase of cell phone as a primary phone
for lower SES individuals. Because of these facts, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute is actually invovled in the first 5 year RCT collecting data on
how low literacy adults (recruited from adult ed programs throughout MA) use
the Internet for health. The study is in its 3rd year so stay tunned for
more information on this. The JMIR article that was shared is merely a
qualitative paper reporting on the pilot study that served as the foundation
for the lR01.

-Emily Kontos

On Thu, Sep 25, 2008 at 2:22 PM, Jan Potter <jpotter at gha.org> wrote:


>  Is that based upon 2003 data?  I would think that would make a

> difference.  I've read the JMIR study and it only had 12 people.  I'm not

> sure we have a good idea about this topic at this point.  Aren't there some

> computer/health kiosk folks on this listserv?  I'd be curious to see what

> their ideas were about internet use in this demographic.  How about adult

> literacy instructors?  Are there some of you conducting classes using

> computers and the internet?  I suspect the best group of people to answer

> this question might be public librarians.  If we make an assumption that

> lower socioeconomic folks would be less likely to have computers in their

> home (which may or may not be true), then where would they use a computer?

>

>

>

> Jan Potter, MSTC

>

> Communications Specialist

>

> Partnership for Health and Accountability

>

> 770-249-4549

>

> www.gha.org/pha

>

>

>

> "Homework: Find the value of n such that n plus everything else in your

> life makes you feel all right. What would n equal? Solve for n."

>

> Peter Cameron

>

>

>

> This Email is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18

> U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521 and may be legally privileged. The information contained

> in this Email is intended only for use of the individual or entity named

> above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the

> employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient,

> please destroy the email after advising by reply that you erroneously

> received this.  If applicable, the receipt by anyone other than the

> designated recipient does not waive the attorney-client privilege, nor will

> it constitute a waiver of the work-product doctrine. If you are not the

> intended recipient, please delete this message and notify us via e-mail to (

> PHA at gha.org)

>

> -----Original Message-----

> *From:* healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:

> healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] *On Behalf Of *Emily Z. Kontos

> *Sent:* Thursday, September 25, 2008 11:17 AM

> *To:* The Health and Literacy Discussion List

>

> *Subject:* [HealthLiteracy 2328] Re: Wednesday Question: How We Reach

> People

>

>

>

>  The NAALS Health LIteracy report published figures on this and indeed low

> literacy adults do NOT use the Internet to seek out health information. Note

> that this does not mean they do not USE the Internet at all but I think the

> focus of this discussion is on their health seeking behaviors. This is

> actually my area of research. Here is the data from the Health Literacy

> Report and I have also attached a url to a paper that relates to the

> subject.

>

>

>

> 80% of "below basic" literacy adults do NOT use the Internet to seek out

> health information

>

> 58% of "basic"

>

> 33% of "intermediate"

>

> 15% of "proficient

>

>

>

> Barriers and Facilitators to Home Computer and Internet Use Among Urban

> Novice Computer Users of Low Socioeconomic Position

>

> http://www.jmir.org/2007/4/e31

>

>

>

> Thanks,

>

> Emily

>

>

>

>

>

> *Emily Z. Kontos, ScM*

> Doctoral Student

> Dept. of Society, Human Development and Health

> Harvard University, School of Public Health

>

> Research Assistant

> Center for Community-Based Research

> Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

> 44 Binney Street (LW627A)

> Boston, MA 02115

> TEL: 617.582.8191

> FAX: 617.632.5690

>

>

>

> On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 1:03 PM, Laurie Cozzolino <cozzolino at pacbell.net>

> wrote:

>

> Hello and thanks for this important question

>

> How about the Internet?  I think many of us might assume that low-literacy

> adults and older adults don't use the Internet for information.  I wonder

> if

> that is really true?  We might all be surprised at the numbers.  I don't

> have the data at hand, but from my experience in adult ESL in California, I

> think that it can be a useful tool, at home, at school and in other

> settings.  The problem becomes which materials are people looking at, are

> they accessible and are they valid and accurate?

>

> The second question in my mind is always the fact that information alone is

> not enough - people often need to change their behaviors, and which of any

> method helps bring about real change?  That may be another discussion!

>

> Laurie Cozzolino

> cozzolino at pacbell.net

> Eating Well, Living Well

> San Diego Community College District

>

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: "Julie McKinney" <julie_mcKinney at worlded.org>

> To: <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

> Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 9:13 AM

> Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2325] Wednesday Question: How We Reach People

>

>

> > Hi Everyone,

> >

> > My question this week comes from the Webcast and Doug's response. It is

> > about the model of how we reach people (the patients or consumers) for

> > health literacy education.

> >

> > We saw that Dr. Ian Bennett's study found that a home-based model of

> > education worked better than the classroom model. Of course, that is

> > coming from a Health Center-initiated program, where forming into

> > classes is not expected from patients. Dr. Susan Levy's study, which was

> > done in adult literacy programs, did have success with the classroom

> > model. However, we see that a relatively low percentage of adults with

> > literacy challenges are actually enrolled in these kinds of programs, so

> > we do need to find other ways. Dr. Bennett emphasized that new models

> > need to be explored.

> >

> > So let's exlpore some! What other ways can we reach people to help them

> > learn about basic health, health literacy, health care access, finding

> > and using health info, etc?

> >

> > What are our options?

> >

> > So far:

> >

> > classroom setting in adult education program (adult literacy or English

> > classes)

> > patient waiting room of clinic, hospital or community health center

> > media (TV, radio, bulletin boards in libraries, hosptials, school)

> > K-12 health education

> > people lucky enough to participate in a research study

> >

> > What other options are there?

> > What are the pros and cons of groups vs. individual?

> >

> > Please share your thoughts and experience on this!

> >

> > All the best,

> > Julie

> >

> > Julie McKinney

> > Health Literacy List Moderator

> > World Education

> > jmckinney at worlded.org

> > ----------------------------------------------------

> > National Institute for Literacy

> > Health and Literacy mailing list

> > HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

>

> > Email delivered to cozzolino at pacbell.net

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Health and Literacy mailing list

> HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

> Email delivered to emilyzkontos at gmail.com

>

>

>

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Health and Literacy mailing list

> HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

> Email delivered to emilyzkontos at gmail.com

>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/healthliteracy/attachments/20080925/c90e70a8/attachment.html