Impact of language preference and health literacy on health information-seeking experiences among a low-income, multilingual cohort.
Janet N Chu, Urmimala Sarkar, Natalie A Rivadeneira and 2 others
PMID 34474924WHAT IT FOUND
Most adults surveyed in English, Spanish, or Chinese reported negative health information-seeking experiences.
Spanish-language respondents were more likely to report that information was hard to understand; Chinese-language respondents were more likely to report frustration; limited health literacy was associated with more negative experiences.
Key findings
01Most participants reported at least one negative health information-seeking experience: 389 (80%) English-language respondents, 204 (80%) Spanish-language respondents, and 227 (89%) Chinese-language respondents.
02After adjustment, Spanish-language respondents had higher odds of reporting that information was hard to understand (aOR 3.58, 95% CI 1.25-10.24), and Chinese-language respondents had higher odds of reporting frustration (aOR 2.56, 95% CI 1.12-5.86).
03Limited health literacy was associated with higher odds of all negative information-seeking experiences except low confidence; Chinese-language respondents with limited health literacy had increased odds of low confidence (aOR 5.07, 95% CI 1.89-13.62).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Single-site survey in San Francisco, so it may not apply elsewhere. Community-based sampling was not random, and the sample was weighted to age and gender only. Participants self-reported their experiences, so the study did not measure whether they understood or used information. The health literacy question was not validated in Chinese. Language preference was limited to English, Spanish, or Chinese, so some participants may have been misclassified. The study did not measure the type of health information sought or changes over time. Associations do not prove that language preference or health literacy caused negative experiences.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not report author conflicts of interest. The article is labelled as research supported by NIH extramural funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that language preference or health literacy caused poor health outcomes. The study measured self-reported information-seeking experiences and did not test an intervention.