Health Literacy In The Context Of Cancer Awareness and Treatment

Woods-Townsend and colleagues attempted to increase health literacy in the next generation, engaging nearly 3000 13–14-year-old UK secondary school pupils in a trial focused on “Me, my health and my children’s health”. At 12 months after the LifeLab educational intervention, the standardized total theoretical health literacy score of the students increased, and they moved towards a more critical judgement of their own health behavior. These findings show how important it is to improve health literacy in young people. This is particularly important, as we know that a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of developing non-communicable diseases, including cancer.

Cancer screening is a key approach to reducing cancer mortality. The number of cancer patients in Nepal has increased significantly, hand-in-hand with changing lifestyles and increased exposure to risk factors. In this cross-sectional study, Koirala and colleagues investigate cancer literacy rates in 180 Nepalese adults aged 18 years and above, using the Cancer Health Literacy Test. The authors found that cancer screening rates and cancer literacy scores were low in the general population, and that cancer literacy, age, gender and family support were significantly associated with cancer screening behavior.

Understanding a cancer diagnosis and treatment options is crucial, so patients can make informed decisions regarding their health. In this mixed studies systematic review, Holden and colleagues investigate how health literacy relates to outcomes in patients. For example, lower health literacy was associated with higher and more variable estimates of risk relating to breast cancer recurrence and a greater unmet information need. The authors put special emphasis on understanding the influence of health literacy on access to medical care, revealing the important part played by healthcare professionals and their ability to explain this complex disease and treatment options. A lack of knowledge can lead to patients consenting to treatment without fully comprehending potential risks and benefits. This can also increase their fear, which in turn acts as a barrier to obtaining more information.

Shared decision-making is challenging in patients with limited health literacy. In their qualitative study, Roodbeen and colleagues investigate the strategies taken by healthcare providers regarding communication and shared decision-making in hospital-based palliative care, and the barriers they face. They highlight how important it is to have enough time to communicate with patients, and that more awareness is necessary to recognize low health literacy. Look out for our interview next week with author Prof. Dr. Sandra van Dulmen, who will be telling us more about this study and her research in patient-centered medicine.