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The overall average level of health literacy in Canada is low. About 60% of adult Canadians (ages 16 and older) lack the capacity to obtain, understand, and act upon health information and services and to make appropriate health decisions on their own. While low levels of health literacy are partly due to Canada’s aging population and the shrinking youth cohort, an important contributor is the growing immigrant population.
This study has two overall objectives. First, it seeks to examine the determinants of health literacy among immigrants (including sub-groups defined by country of origin and date of arrival in Canada) and non-immigrants, divided up by generation. Secondly, this study examines the relationship between health literacy and selected health outcomes among immigrants and non-immigrants; and among the sub-groups of immigrants and non-immigrants.
This study has attempted to increase our understanding of the determinants of health literacy in Canada among immigrants. We compared differences in health literacy between immigrants and non-immigrants, among immigrants by country of origin and date of arrival in Canada, and among the non-immigrant population by generational status. The study also examined the relationship between immigration status and health outcomes as measured by self-rated health, disability status, health-related quality of life and the effect of health literacy in these relationships.
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