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    Microsoft Word - Health Literacy Abstract

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    Philip Girvan
    Abstract of a paper to be presented at the April 26 & 27, 2010 Statistics Canada Socio-economic conference in Gatineau, QC.

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    Microsoft Word - Health Literacy Abstract

    Uploaded by

    Philip Girvan
    107 views1 page
    Abstract of a paper to be presented at the April 26 & 27, 2010 Statistics Canada Socio-economic conference in Gatineau, QC.

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    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

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    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

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    Abstract of a paper to be presented at the April 26 & 27, 2010 Statistics Canada Socio-economic conference in Gatineau, QC.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    107 views1 page

    Microsoft Word - Health Literacy Abstract

    Uploaded by

    Philip Girvan
    Abstract of a paper to be presented at the April 26 & 27, 2010 Statistics Canada Socio-economic conference in Gatineau, QC.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
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    Category: Contributed Paper (willing to consider a poster opportunity)

    Author: Mr. Philip Girvan

    Email: pgirvan@stfx.ca

    Telephone: 1-902-867-6131

    Title: A Systems Approach to Strengthening Health Literacy: Recent Immigrants Living


    in Rural Nova Scotia.

    Abstract:

    Health literacy, a function of overall literacy, encompasses knowledge, understanding,


    access to and control of resources that promote and maintain satisfactory health and
    wellbeing. Health literacy skills are crucial in the areas of health promotion, health
    protection, disease prevention, healthcare maintenance and system navigation.

    Health literacy is an important means for maintaining health and is a strong predictor of
    health status. Barriers to health literacy, such as the lack of meaningful information
    about the Canadian health care system and preventive services, may contribute to the
    deterioration in health status of immigrants over time (Zanchetta and Poureslami, 20061).
    Health literacy issues are compounded when individuals are reading, writing, speaking
    and listening to languages other than their first.

    Using both quantitative and qualitative data, this paper investigates health literacy issues
    affecting recent immigrants living in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia whose first
    language is neither English nor French.

    Feedback gathered from interviews with English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers
    informs the paper’s exploration of collaborative opportunities between employers,
    educators, and primary and public health actors to raise awareness of health literacy;
    enhance recent immigrants’ settlement, integration and wellbeing; and improve overall
    population health.

    1
    Zanchetta, M.S., and Poureslami, I.M. « Health Literacy Within the Reality of Immigrants’ Culture and
    Language ». Canadian Journal of Public Health. 97 (2). 2006. pp. S1-S5.

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