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"Was Test Designed for Africans?" Health Literacy and African Immigrants
Nancy S Morris1, Chioma Nnaji2, Marianne Sarkis3
1University of Massachusetts Medical School Graduate School of Nursing, S1-853, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA. nancy.morris@umassmed.edu.
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
|January 11, 2021
Summary
Many African immigrants have limited health literacy, impacting their ability to use health care services. This study assessed their health literacy and engagement with the healthcare system.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Disparities
- Cross-cultural Healthcare
Background:
- Immigrants face significant barriers in accessing and utilizing healthcare services.
- Language and cultural differences in understanding health and healing influence healthcare engagement.
- Limited health literacy is linked to reduced preventive care, but its status among African immigrants remains unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess health literacy among African immigrants.
- To examine the association between health literacy, primary care engagement, and sociodemographic factors.
- To evaluate the utility of two health literacy measurement tools with this population.
Main Methods:
- A community-based participatory research cross-sectional survey was conducted with African immigrants in Massachusetts.
- Participants completed the Newest Vital Sign (NVS), Health Literacy Skills Instrument (HLSI), and other surveys.
- Observations and participant comments were recorded during survey completion.
Main Results:
- 60% of 75 participants exhibited limited health literacy, despite over 80% being connected to a healthcare system and comfortable with providers.
- Health literacy was associated with education, English proficiency, country of origin, and healthcare access.
- Participants found assessment tools understandable but challenging to answer, with observed difficulties in interpreting nutrition labels and online information.
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of African immigrants in the study demonstrated limited health literacy, even with factors like English proficiency and higher education.
- Further research is recommended to explore culturally-tailored health literacy assessments versus evaluating within the dominant culture's framework.
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