We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
The meaning of numbers in health: exploring health numeracy in a Mexican-American population.
- Authors
Schapira, Marilyn; Fletcher, Kathlyn; Ganschow, Pamela; Walker, Cindy; Tyler, Bruce; Pozo, Sam; Schauer, Carrie; Jacobs, Elizabeth; Schapira, Marilyn M; Fletcher, Kathlyn E; Ganschow, Pamela S; Walker, Cindy M; Del Pozo, Sam; Jacobs, Elizabeth A
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Health numeracy can be defined as the ability to use numeric information in the context of health. The interpretation and application of numbers in health may vary across cultural groups.<bold>Objective: </bold>To explore the construct of health numeracy among persons who identify as Mexican American.<bold>Design: </bold>Qualitative focus group study. Groups were stratified by preferred language and level of education. Audio-recordings were transcribed and Spanish groups (n = 3) translated to English. An analysis was conducted using principles of grounded theory.<bold>Participants: </bold>A purposeful sample of participants from clinical and community sites in the Milwaukee and Chicago metropolitan areas.<bold>Main Measures: </bold>A theoretical framework of health numeracy was developed based upon categories and major themes that emerged from the analysis.<bold>Key Results: </bold>Six focus groups were conducted with 50 participants. Initial agreement in coding was 59-67% with 100% reached after reconciliation by the coding team. Three major themes emerged: 1) numeracy skills are applied to a broad range of communication and decision making tasks in health, 2) affective and cognitive responses to numeric information influence use of numbers in the health setting, and 3) there exists a strong desire to understand the meaning behind numbers used in health. The findings informed a theoretical framework of health numeracy.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Numbers are important across a range of skills and applications in health in a sample of an urban Mexican-American population. This study expands previous work that strives to understand the application of numeric skills to medical decision making and health behaviors.
- Subjects
MILWAUKEE (Wis.); CHICAGO (Ill.); WISCONSIN; ILLINOIS; MEXICAN Americans; NUMERACY; CROSS-cultural studies; HEALTH management; PSYCHOLOGY; HEALTH education standards; DECISION making; FOCUS groups; HEALTH attitudes; PSYCHOLOGY of Hispanic Americans; MATHEMATICS; READABILITY (Literary style); RESEARCH funding; ETHNOLOGY research
- Publication
JGIM: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2011, Vol 26, Issue 7, p705
- ISSN
0884-8734
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1007/s11606-011-1645-5