A multisite community-based health literacy intervention for Spanish speakers

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Adult Education

Background:

• The National Action Plan for Health Literacy highlights community-based education, including English as a second language (ESL) programs.
• Research on combined ESL and health literacy interventions in community settings is limited.
• Effective health literacy strategies for diverse populations, particularly Spanish speakers, are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the feasibility of using diverse community settings to enhance health literacy among adult Spanish speakers via an English language program.
• To assess the impact of a combined health literacy and ESL curriculum on functional health literacy skills.

Main Methods:

• A pre-experimental, single-arm, pretest-posttest design was employed.
• The Health Literacy and ESL Curriculum was implemented across three community sites.
• Participants (adult Spanish speakers) were recruited, and health literacy was measured using the Spanish Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA).

Main Results:

• A high retention rate (92%) was observed, with 49 participants completing the study.
• Significant improvements were found in overall TOFHLA scores, numeracy, and reading comprehension post-intervention (p < 0.0001).
• All sites showed significant gains in total TOFHLA scores, with some sites demonstrating significant improvements in numeracy and reading comprehension.

Conclusions:

• Community-based settings are effective venues for delivering integrated health literacy and language instruction to Spanish-speaking adults.
• Community engagement and ESL programs are crucial components for successful health literacy interventions in this population.
• The findings support the expansion of similar collaborative programs to improve health literacy and reduce health disparities.