Identifying Health Literacy Disparities in Deaf Adults

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Identifying Health Literacy Disparities in Deaf
Adults

• Robert Pollard, Ph.D.
• Steven Barnett, M.D.
• University Rochester School of Medicine
• National Center for Deaf Health Research

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Supported by
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Prevention Research Center Program US
Department of Education (OSERS) National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research Deaf Awareness Week Planning
Committee Rochester, NY
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Issues

• Higher risk than other low literacy groups
• 4th grade reading level (h.s. grads)
• Striking fund of information limitations
• Poor access to family health history
• Limited participation in health care
• Intra-community health knowledge sharing

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REALM

• Popular health literacy research tool
• 66 words from 1 care setting documents
• Correct proper pronunciation only
• Scored vs. 4 grade-level norm categories
• 9th grade considered low health literacy
• Davis TC, Long SW, Jackson RH, Mayeaux EJ,
  George RB, Murphy PW, et al. Rapid estimate of
  adult literacy in medicine a shortened screening
  instrument. Family Medicine 199325(6)391-5.

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Method

• Altered pronunciation instructions to
• Please read these medical words. If you do
  understand what the word means, circle the word.
  If you do not understand what the word means,
  cross out the word.
• Flesch-Kincaid reading level 2.8

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Participants

• Visited health screening booth at Deaf Awareness
  Week event (Rochester, NY)
• 61 adults, self-identified as deaf
• 57 completed the modified REALM
• 50-50 male/female mix
• Mean age 43 (s.d. 12)
• 84 reported prelingual deafness
• 77 preferred sign language
• 81 college educated, only 4 lt high school

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Results REALM Scores
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REALM Score Summary

• Despite high education level
• 32 scored in low health literacy range
• 30 of high school graduates did
• 22 with college degrees did
• and despite social desirability influence

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Item Difficulty Rank Order
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REALM Words Understood By All

• 3, Pill
• 5, Eye
• 6, Stress
• 9, Germs

• 10 Meals
• 49, Emergency
• 52, Sexually
• 53, Alcoholism

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Implications

• Health literacy clearly compromised
• even among well-educated deaf
• Comprehension pattern unique
• best interventions ? hearing peoples

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Future Studies

• Validate REALM comprehension beyond word
  reading/recognition (functional studies)
• Modification useful with LEP hearing?
• Many health literacy questions/interventions
  regarding deaf people could be studied
• National Center on Deaf Health Research
  initiatives and collaboration possibilities

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Contact
Robert_Pollard_at_urmc.rochester.edu www.urmc.roches
ter.edu/DWC www.urmc.rochester.edu/cpm/NCDHR 585-2
75-3544 voice or TTY URMC Deaf Wellness
Center 300 Crittenden Blvd. Rochester, NY 14642