Oregon Research Institute

HealthyU-Latinx: A Technology-based Tool for addressing Health Literacy in Latinx Secondary Students and their Families

Investigators are adapting an evidence-based, web-based health literacy program for Latinx EL students and their families to provide the tools they need when addressing health concerns and interacting with healthcare institutions.

Details

Limited health literacy is a pervasive and persistent national problem in the United States. Defined as the ability to locate, understand, and use health related information and services to make informed decisions for oneself and others, national surveys reveal that nearly 9 out of 10 US adults and approximately two-thirds of school aged adolescent have some degree of health literacy deficit. For minority populations, particularly Spanish speaking students and adults, the rates of low health literacy are even more pervasive.

HealthyU-Latinx builds on over a decade of adolescent health literacy evaluation and development work on an existing evidence-supported web-based health literacy program, HealthyU. Investigators are meeting with Hispanic/Latino EL secondary students and their caregivers to Identify their health literacy needs and concerns.

The prototype program, which the secondary student and their caregivers will test may include topics such as obtaining health insurance or financial resources to support health care, interpreting medical bills and paperwork; working with medical providers; establishing family medical history; completing medical paperwork, and navigating US Government health care programs.