Read for Life
September 20, 2007
It's a well known fact that when you can't read, your chances for getting a job are decreased and your chances for winding up behind bars are increased. But not being able to read or understand can also be the difference between life and death. Dr. Mom has more.
Inadequate or low health literacy is defined as the inability to read and comprehend basic health-related materials such as prescription bottles, appointment slips, and hospital forms. According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 75 million adults in the United Sates have only basic or below basic health literacy.
People with strong literacy skills may have trouble obtaining, understanding, and using complex health information. For Americans who have low literacy skills, their health can be greatly affected by their inability to understand complex health information. A recent study from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine showed that older people with inadequate health literacy had a 50% higher mortality rate during a 5 year period than people with adequate reading skills.
Illiteracy statistics in America are alarming:- Low literacy skills increase annual health care costs by $73 billion
- 50% of the chronically unemployed are not functionally literate
- More than 40 million adults function at the lowest literacy level
- 90 million American have trouble reading and/or writing
- 25% of American cannot address an envelope well enough to reach its destination
- 61% of low-income families have no childrens’ books in their homes
Many communities have literacy organizations offering classes to help adults. By providing smaller, more comfortable learning environments, adults can meet their goals of learning to read. For more information on these classes or to volunteer, call 903-533-0330, the Literacy Council of Tyler, or contact your local literacy council.
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