Funded Research

Health television: A way for people with low literacy
to learn more about the food they eat

Margot Kaszap, Full Professor, Université Laval
Myriam Drolet, Researcher, Groupe de recherche et d'intervention en santé et en alphabétisation (GRISA – Health and Literacy Research and Intervention Group)
Isabelle Gagné, Master's in Anthropology, Université Laval, 2009

Summary (PDF 32 KB)

Full Report (PDF 334 KB)

Goal

The goal of this research is to test a new approach to assist health professionals when talking to seniors about their diet. This new tool consists of using video and illustrations.

Background

Health services are constantly evolving. Patients and those around them are required to shoulder more responsibility. In this new context, people want more information in a format that they understand in order to better manage their health. Also, health facilities want to make this information easily accessible to them.

In Québec, as in the rest of Canada, 80% of seniors rank among the two population groups with the lowest levels of literacy (IALSS, 2003). This fact implies that they need help to understand and take action with regard to their health.

Current Situation

Numerous studies and reports (Murphy et al., 1996; Rudd, 2000; American Medical Association, 1999; Baker et al., 1997; Wilson & McLemore, 1997) have reached the same conclusions:

  • information dispensed by health professionals does not lead to the desired results;
  • health education is not, as it is now provided, a way to prevent disease or improve and maintain health, and finally;
  • the cultural gap between health professionals and patients is widening, leading to failed treatment.

Conclusion

It therefore seems essential to take another look at the traditional approach used with seniors (passing on information using brief verbal explanations and written leaflets describing the disease and the treatment to be followed) in order to replace it with another (building up the seniors' health knowledge) using video and illustrations. However, we must first verify whether these media are effective, which is the purpose of this research.