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Health Literacy Across the Life Course: Understanding Equity and the Influence of Culture and Gender

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Health and Education Interdependence

Abstract

The use of the term ‘health literacy’ has grown significantly over the past two decades. While definitions of health literacy have remained contested, and continue to evolve in Australia and globally, there is generally a shared understanding that the concept is important. The origin of health literacy emerged out of an education paradigm that recognised how literacy levels impacted health. The concept was simple—improve literacy, and improved health will follow. Yet, more recent conceptualisations suggest that health literacy is far more complex and impacted by a range of individual and environmental components across the life course. In this chapter we will explore and discuss equity, gender and culture as important impacts on the health literacy environment. Using a gender-based and culturally focused lens, we apply a health literacy environment framework to two case studies, involving Aboriginal people living in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. We critique and apply these constructs in relation to improving the health literacy environment and addressing the inequity of Aboriginal health outcomes. We argue that a health literacy environment framework shifts the responsibility of good health away from an individual to a shared population-based responsibility between citizens, health systems and health service providers. It offers a tool to better understand the systemic factors that perpetuate inequity. We suggest this framework may have promising applicability in other global Indigenous contexts.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For the purposes of this chapter, Aboriginal refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and/or Australian First Nations people, unless specified otherwise. Indigenous refers to all Indigenous peoples globally. These terms are used for brevity. The authors acknowledge the diversity of views regarding preferences for using these terms.

  2. 2.

    In the context of this chapter it is important to understand that the term ‘Aboriginal males’ and ‘Aboriginal male health’ is preferentially used to the term ‘Aboriginal men’s health’. In doing so, this is more inclusive of both boys and men, where the distinction between boyhood and adulthood, and associated rites of passage, is acknowledged to be different between Aboriginal and Western contexts. This mirrors similar terminology used in national policy documents developed in consultation with Aboriginal males.

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Acknowledgments

S.I would like to thank Concepta Wulili Narjic for her ongoing mentorship and cultural guidance in undertaking research relating to Aboriginal women’s sexual and reproductive health. Similarly, J.S would like to thank the ongoing mentorship of Jason Bonson, Uncle Mick Adams and Professor Steven Larkin for their collegiality and cultural guidance and expertise in navigating the Aboriginal male health and Aboriginal research spaces.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia

    Sarah Ireland

  2. Menzies School of Health Research & Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia

    James A. Smith

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  1. Sarah Ireland
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  2. James A. Smith
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Correspondence to Sarah Ireland .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Perth Psychological Services, Perth, Australia

    Richard Midford

  2. School of Education, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT, Australia

    Georgie Nutton

  3. Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia

    Brendon Hyndman

  4. Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia

    Sven Silburn

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Ireland, S., Smith, J.A. (2020). Health Literacy Across the Life Course: Understanding Equity and the Influence of Culture and Gender. In: Midford, R., Nutton, G., Hyndman, B., Silburn, S. (eds) Health and Education Interdependence. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3959-6_15

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