Andy,

I believe the article said that in this population literacy and race
were coincidentally linked. I don't think that they were using literacy
as a stand-in for poverty, but I think it is enlgihtening to realize
that literacy level can affect health independent of economic status. 

The real question is: how can this realization guide efforts to lift up
certain populations? Obviously, we need to address many issues, but this
is a reminder that literacy is an important one to address, and one
that, in turn, can improve economic status as well as health.

Thanks for your response,

Julie

Julie McKinney
Discussion List Moderator
World Education/NCSALL
jmckinney at worlded.org


>>> andy_nash at worlded.org 10/11/06 1:48 PM >>>

Julie,
Thanks for this info. In this research, is literacy being used as a
stand-in for poverty? It seems to me that poverty is the predictor of
both low literacy and ill health. The two seem coincidentally related,
not causally. As to your other question about race, I do believe that
what have been traditionally seen as race factors often boil down to
class (and poverty), as well.
Andy Nash


>>> julie_mcKinney at worlded.org 10/11/06 12:25 PM >>>

Hi Everyone,

Below is a link to an article about race and literacy level as
determinants of prostate cancer. The data suggested that
African-American men are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate
cancer, but when adjusted for literacy skills and age, it seemed that
low-literacy skills and age were the greater predictors of the disease,
not race. 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=52991 

Many factors could affect these findings, but it does suggest that some
of what we read about race may actually be due to literacy-related
issues. How often do you think low-literacy's effect on health outcomes
is masked by its connection to race? Do we need more research that
measures literacy level and health outcomes? 

I'd love to hear people's thoughts and experience!

All the best,
Julie

Julie McKinney
Discussion List Moderator
World Education/NCSALL
jmckinney at worlded.org

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