Health literacy refers to a person’s ability to find, understand, and use health information and services to make good choices about their health. Health Literacy helps prevent and manage health problems and improve health outcomes such as fewer emergency room visits or hospital stays. Each October, we focus on improving the health literacy of our communities.
To improve your health literacy, ask your healthcare provider for education or support opportunities for conditions specific to you.
RHN Team Picture Bank photo credit
One way to improve your health literacy is by learning how to read and understand prescription labels. Prescription labels give us directions on how to properly take our medications. Understanding prescription labels will help us know whether the medication should be taken with or without food, at a certain time or day, or be stored at a certain temperature. Ask your pharmacist to explain your prescription label the next time you pick up your medications.
Another way to improve your health literacy is by learning how to read nutrition labels. Nutrition labels help us identify unhealthy nutrients we should limit, like saturated fat, excess sodium, and added sugars. Nutrition labels also help us identify nutrient-dense foods that contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and healthy fats. For people with food allergies, reading ingredient list on nutrition labels can even be lifesaving. Talk to your healthcare professional about what you should look for when reading nutrition labels.
Open communication between yourself and your healthcare provider is another way to improve your health literacy. Write down a list of questions to discuss with your doctor before each appointment. Be honest and speak up about any concerns you have. When talking with your doctor, be clear and concise about any symptoms you are experiencing. Take notes or bring a support person with you to your appointments to help you better understand and retain the information your doctor provides.
Finally, ask your healthcare provider for education or support opportunities for conditions specific to you. If you are pregnant, your doctor may recommend a breastfeeding or birthing class. If you have mental health concerns, your doctor may connect you with support groups or other mental health resources. Those with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes may be referred to a self-management and support program such as Health Extension for Diabetes, offered by Clemson Extension.
Health Extension for Diabetes is a free diabetes support and self-management program that is specifically designed for those living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Through this program, participants learn about self-care behaviors and lifestyle changes they can make to better manage their blood sugar. For more information about this program and other programs offered by the Clemson Extension Rural Health and Nutrition team, visit Clemson.edu/extension/health.
During October, we bring awareness to the importance of health literacy. We can improve our health literacy by learning to read prescription and nutrition labels, practicing open communication with our doctors, and seeking out education and support opportunities.
References:
