International Journal of Health Sciences

Addressing Learning Style Needs to Improve Effectiveness of Adult Health Literacy Education
Leah A. Grebner

Abstract
Context: Low health literacy has an impact on the ability of an individual’s understand healthcare provider communication. It also contributes to reduced access to healthcare services increased rates of mortality. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of learning style on adult health literacy education. Design, Settings, and Participants: The research questions addressed the effectiveness of educational intervention adjusted to their appropriate learning style in comparison to a standardized health literacy intervention and potential difference, according to type of learning style, in the amount of change in performance between administration of pretest and posttest. A sample of 80 adults in an urban community was recruited through organizations serving low-income individuals. The participants were assessed for baseline health literacy level, followed by identification of learning style, educational intervention, and posttest assessment, which led to determination by Intervention(s): Participants in the study received a health literacy educational intervention, according to learning style, in order to provide participants with basic health literacy education. Main Outcome Measure(s):Variables of learning styles were evaluated to determine if participants in the study group would perform differently than the participants in the control group, who received the standardized health literacy intervention. Results: t-test that changes between pretest and posttest scores were statistically significant between the control group and the study groups. Conclusions: This finding suggests that health education should be delivered to patients according to individual learning style in order for patients to comprehend and retain information provided. Social change implications include healthcare professionals appropriately addressing health literacy so that patients may become more active participants in personal healthcare management to improve outcomes of healthcare quality, decrease long-term healthcare delivery costs, and improve the community’s general health status.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijhs.v3n1a6