Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article

Community-based initiatives improving critical health literacy: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative evidence

Authors: Liesbeth de Wit, Christine Fenenga, Cinzia Giammarchi, Lucia di Furia, Inge Hutter, Andrea de Winter, Louise Meijering

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2018

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Critical health literacy enables older adults to make informed health decisions and take actions for the health and wellbeing of themselves and their community, within their own social and cultural context. A community-based approach has the potential to improve the critical health literacy of older adults and their communities. However, it is not clear how such initiatives consider critical health literacy. Therefore, this study explored how community-based initiatives address the critical health literacy of older adults and their communities.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, as well as the quality of the methodological and community-based elements of the studies. In addition, a meta-synthesis was carried out, consisting of a qualitative text analysis of the results sections of the 23 included studies.

Results

We identified two main themes, which are practices that contribute to the critical health literacy of older adults as well as their communities: 1) collaborative learning, and 2) social support. In these practices we identified reciprocity as a key characteristic of both co-learning and social support.

Conclusions

This study provides the first overview of community-based initiatives that implicitly address the critical health literacy of older adults and their community. Our results demonstrate that in the context of one’s own life collaborative learning and social support could contribute to people’s understanding and ability to judge, sift and use health information. We therefore suggest to add these two practices to the definition of critical health literacy.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
2.
Bongue B, Colvez A, Amsallem E, Gerbaud L, Sass C. Assessment of health inequalities among older people using the epices score: a composite index of social deprivation. J Frailty Aging. 2015. published online in press.
3.
Kickbusch I, Pelikan JM, Apfel F, Tsouros AD. Health literacy. The solid facts. World Health Organization, The Regional Office for Europe: Copenhagen, Denmark; 2013.
4.
Sørensen K, Van den Broucke S, Fullam J, Doyle G, Pelikan J, Slonska Z, Brand H. Health literacy and public health: a systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health. 2012;12(1):1.CrossRef
5.
Bennett IM, Chen J, Soroui JS, White S. The contribution of health literacy to disparities in self-rated health status and preventive health behaviors in older adults. Ann Fam Med. 2009;7(3):204–11.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
6.
Wolf MS, Gazmararian JA, Baker DW. Health literacy and health risk behaviors among older adults. Am J Prev Med. 2007;32(1):19–24.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Kickbusch IS. Health literacy: addressing the health and education divide. Health Promot Int. 2001;16(3):289–97.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Nutbeam D. Health literacy as a public health goal: a challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st century. Health Promot Int. 2000;15(3):259–67.CrossRef
9.
Freedman DA, Bess KD, Tucker HA, Boyd DL, Tuchman AM, Wallston KA. Public health literacy defined. Am J Prev Med. 2009;36(5):446–51.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Mogford E, Gould L, Devoght A. Teaching critical health literacy in the US as a means to action on the social determinants of health. Health Promot Int. 2011;26(1):4–13.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Guzys D, Kenny A, Dickson-Swift V, Threlkeld G. A critical review of population health literacy assessment. BMC Public Health. 2015;15(1):1.CrossRef
12.
Zarcadoolas C, Pleasant A, Greer DS. Advancing health literacy: a framework for understanding and action. 1st ed. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass; 2009.
13.
Peerson A, Saunders M. Health literacy revisited: what do we mean and why does it matter? Health Promot Int. 2009;24(3):285–96.CrossRefPubMed
14.
15.
16.
Commission on Social Determinants of Health, World Health Organization: Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Final report. Geneva; 2008.
17.
Minkler M, Wallerstein N. Community-based participatory research: from process to outcomes. 2nd ed. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass; 2008.
18.
Loewenson R, Laurell A, Hogstedt C. D'Ambruoso L, Shroff Z: Participatory Action Research in Health Systems: A Methods Reader. 1st ed. Zimbabwe: Equinet; 2014.
19.
Higgins JPT, Green S. Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. The Cochrane Collaboration and John Wiley & Sons Ltd: West Sussex; 2008.CrossRef
20.
Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG. The PRISMA group: preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA Statement. BMJ. 2009;339:b2535.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
21.
22.
Viswanathan M, Ammerman A, Eng E, Garlehner G, Lohr KN, Griffith D, Rhodes S, SamuelHodge C, Maty S, Lux L, Webb L, Sutton SF, Swinson T, Jackman A, Whitener L. Community-based participatory research: Assessing the evidence. Evidence report. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Rockville; 2004.
23.
24.
Hennink M, Hutter I, Bailey A. Qualitative research methods. 1st ed. London: Sage; 2011.
25.
Hamrosi KK, Aslani P, Raynor DK. Beyond needs and expectations: identifying the barriers and facilitators to written medicine information provision and use in Australia. Health Expect. 2014;17(2):220–31.CrossRefPubMed
26.
O'Brien M, Begley E, Anand JC, Killick C, Taylor BJ. A total indifference to our dignity: older people’s understandings of elder abuse. Age Action: Dublin; 2011.
27.
Punnaraj W, Nuntaboot K, Leelakraiwan C, Prompakping B. A community capacity enhancement model for care of the elderly. Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research. 2010;14(4):360–71.
28.
Sanders C, Seymour J, Clarke A, Gott M, Welton M. Development of a peer education programme for advance end-of-life care planning. Int J Palliat Nurs. 2006;12(5):216–23.CrossRef
29.
Valokivi H. Participation and citizenship of elderly persons: user experiences from Finland. Soc Work Health Care. 2004;39(1–2):181–207.PubMed
30.
Ward L. Negotiating well-being: older people's narratives of relationships and relationality. Ethics and Social Welfare. 2014;8(3):293–305.CrossRef
31.
Adili F, Higgins I, Koch T. Older women and chronic illness: transitioning and learning to live with diabetes. Action Res. 2013;11(2):142–56.CrossRef
32.
Espenschied CR, MacDonald DJ, Culver JO, Sand S, Hurley K, Banks KC, Weitzel JN, Blazer KR. Closing the loop: action research in a multimodal hereditary cancer patient conference is an effective tool to assess and address patient needs. J Cancer Educ. 2012;27(3):467–77.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
33.
Evans P, Greaves C, Winder R, Fearn-Smith J, Campbell J. Development of an educational ‘toolkit’ for health professionals and their patients with prediabetes: the WAKEUP study (ways of addressing knowledge education and understanding in pre-diabetes). Diabet Med. 2007;24(7):770–7.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Andrews JO, Bentley G, Crawford S, Pretlow L, Tingen MS. Using community-based participatory research to develop a culturally sensitive smoking cessation intervention with public housing neighborhoods. Ethn Dis. 2007;17(2):331.PubMed
35.
Balbale SN, Schwingel A, Chodzko-Zajko W, Huhman M. Visual and participatory research methods for the development of health messages for underserved populations. Health Commun. 2014;29(7):728–40.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Boise L, Tuepker A, Gipson T, Vigmenon Y, Soule I, Onadeko S. African refugee and immigrant health needs: report from a community-based house meeting project. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action. 2013;7(4):369–78.CrossRef
37.
Collier AF, Munger M, Moua YK. Hmong mental health needs assessment: a community-based partnership in a small mid-western community. Am J Community Psychol. 2012;49(1–2):73–86.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Cusack L, de Crespigny C, Wilson C. Over-the-counter analgesic use by urban aboriginal people in south Australia. Health & Social Care in the Community. 2013;21(4):373–80.CrossRef
39.
Holkup PA, Salois EM, Tripp-Reimer T, Weinert C. Drawing on wisdom from the past: an elder abuse intervention with tribal communities. The Gerontologist. 2007;47(2):248–54.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
40.
Petrucka P, Bassendowski S, Bourassa C. Seeking paths to culturally competent health care: lessons from two Saskatchewan aboriginal communities. CJNR (Canadian Journal of Nursing Research). 2007;39(2):166–82.
41.
Zanjani F. Rowles GD: “we don't want to talk about that”: overcoming barriers to rural aging research and interventions on sensitive topics. J Rural Stud. 2012;28(4):398–405.CrossRef
42.
Braun KL, Mokuau N, Hunt GH, Kaanoi M, Gotay CC. Supports and obstacles to cancer survival for Hawaii's native people. Cancer Pract. 2002;10(4):192–200.CrossRefPubMed
43.
Carlson BA, Neal D, Magwood G, Jenkins C, King MG, Hossler CL. A community-based participatory health information needs assessment to help eliminate diabetes information disparities. Health Promot Pract. 2006;7(3):213S–222.CrossRefPubMed
44.
Eggly S, Tkatch R, Penner LA, Mabunda L, Hudson J, Chapman R, Griggs JJ, Brown R, Albrecht T. Development of a question prompt list as a communication intervention to reduce racial disparities in cancer treatment. J Cancer Educ. 2013;28(2):282–9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
45.
Grigg-Saito D, Och S, Liang S, Toof R, Silka L. Building on the strengths of a Cambodian refugee community through community-based outreach. Health Promot Pract. 2008;9(4):415–25.CrossRefPubMed
46.
Kieffer EC, Willis SK, Odoms-Young AM, Guzman JR, Allen AJ, Feathers JT, Loveluck J. Reducing disparities in diabetes among african-american and latino residents of detroit: The essential role of community planning focus groups. Ethnicity and Disease. 2004;14(3; SUPP/1):S1–27.
47.
Pierre-Louis B, Akoh V, White P, Pharris MD. Patterns in the lives of African American women with diabetes. Nurs Sci Q. 2011;24(3):227–36.CrossRefPubMed
48.
Xie B. Older adults, e-health literacy, and collaborative learning: an experimental study. J Am Soc Inf Sci Technol. 2011;62(5):933–46.CrossRef
49.
Gokhale AA: Collaborative learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology Education 1995; 7(1): e-journal.
50.
Israel BA, Eng E, Schultz AJ, Parker EA. Methods for community-based participatory research for health. 2nd ed. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass; 2013.
51.
Freire P. Pedagogy of the Oppressed, trans. Myra Bergman Ramos. New York: Continuum; 1970.
52.
House JS. Work stress and social support: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co; 1981.
53.
Lee SD, Arozullah AM, Cho YI. Health literacy, social support, and health: a research agenda. Soc Sci Med. 2004;58(7):1309–21.CrossRefPubMed
54.
Lee SD, Arozullah AM, Cho YI, Crittenden K, Vicencio D. Health literacy, social support, and health status among older adults. Educ Gerontol. 2009;35(3):191–201.CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Community-based initiatives improving critical health literacy: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative evidence
Authors
Liesbeth de Wit
Christine Fenenga
Cinzia Giammarchi
Lucia di Furia
Inge Hutter
Andrea de Winter
Louise Meijering
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4570-7

Other articles of this Issue 1/2018

BMC Public Health 1/2018 Go to the issue

Research article

Healthy offshore workforce? A qualitative study on offshore wind employees’ occupational strain, health, and coping

Correspondence

Letter to editor: careful literature search and exact data extraction are milestones of a meta-analysis: the case of dairy consumption and hip fracture

Research article

A pedometer-based walking intervention with and without email counseling in general practice: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Research article

Associations between childhood overweight, obesity, abdominal obesity and obesogenic behaviors and practices in Australian homes

Study protocol

Protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial evaluating the impact of a preschool-based capacity building intervention on intimate partner violence and substance misuse in Sri Lanka

Research article

The impact of completing upper secondary education - a multi-state model for work, education and health in young men