Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Illiteracy: a contributing factor to poisoning

R Mrvos1, B S Dean, E P Krenzelok

  • 1Pittsburgh Poison Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

Veterinary and Human Toxicology
|October 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A model to improve the accuracy of US Poison Center data collection.

Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)·2014
Same author

Position paper: Single-dose activated charcoal.

Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)·2005
Same author

Position Paper on urine alkalinization.

Journal of toxicology. Clinical toxicology·2004
Same author

Mass sociogenic illness--real and imaginary.

Veterinary and human toxicology·2004
Same author

Acute hepatitis induced by kava kava.

Journal of toxicology. Clinical toxicology·2003
Same author

Toxidromes associated with the most common plant ingestions.

Veterinary and human toxicology·2002
Same journal

V&HT's future--like all futures--remains 'uncertain'.

Veterinary and human toxicology·2004
Same journal

Preparing for an era of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)--are we there yet? Why we should all be concerned. Part II.

Veterinary and human toxicology·2004
Same journal

Melatonin exposures reported to Texas poison centers in 1998-2003.

Veterinary and human toxicology·2004
Same journal

Acute pesticide poisoning related deaths in Turkey.

Veterinary and human toxicology·2004
Same journal

Atypical poisonings with botanicals raise suspicion of malicious activity.

Veterinary and human toxicology·2004
Same journal

Regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the European Union: principles of risk assessment.

Veterinary and human toxicology·2004
See all related articles

Many adults struggle with functional illiteracy, impacting their ability to recognize poisons and understand safety labels. This increases their risk of poisoning, highlighting a need for targeted public health education.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Toxicology
  • Health Literacy

Background:

  • Over 60 million American adults experience functional or marginal illiteracy.
  • Illiteracy poses significant risks, particularly concerning the safe use of household products and medications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the ability of illiterate adults to recognize potential poisons.
  • To understand the impact of illiteracy on safe product handling and storage.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study interviewed 50 illiterate adults (29 male, 21 female).
  • Interviews assessed medication/product purchasing, understanding of uses/dangers, and storage habits.
  • Participants' ability to interpret product labels and caution statements was evaluated.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • 66% of participants read at a 0-3rd grade level; 34% read at a 3rd-6th grade level.
  • In the lowest reading group, 30% couldn't identify products, and none understood cautions or directions.
  • In the higher reading group, all identified products, 76% understood cautions, and all read directions correctly.

Conclusions:

  • A significant portion of the adult population is at risk of poisoning due to difficulties reading and comprehending product labels.
  • Poison centers should consider illiteracy as a key factor in poisoning incidents and develop targeted educational initiatives.