Health Literacy in Practice: Risk Communication

Presented by Anthony Eleftherion & Becca Freed, Health Research for Action, UC Berkeley

Health literacy refers to an individual’s ability to understand and act on health information. It also refers to a communicator’s ability to develop messages or materials that are easy for readers of all literacy levels to comprehend. Low health literacy and numeracy are prevalent, affecting approximately one in three adult Americans. During this presentation, we will explain why health literacy matters for many professionals, including those in risk communication, and provide a few basic strategies for developing clear messages and simple design.

At the completion of this activity, the learner will be able to:
- Describe the health literacy approach to communications
- Utilize participatory design
- Identify communication strategies for health numeracy