Knowledge of Oral Health Issues Among Low-Income Baltimore Adults: A Pilot Study (Research) (Report‪)‬

Introduction Parker and Ratzan defined health literacy as the "degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions." (1) Researchers believe that health literacy encompasses a constellation of health-related abilities, including word recognition, reading comprehension, communication skills and conceptual knowledge. (2) National data show that limited health literacy is widespread within the population. According to the 2003 National Adult Assessment of Literacy, 22% of adults had only basic literacy skills, and 14% of adults had below-basic abilities. (3) Among those most likely to have been affected were seniors, individuals for whom English was a second language and low-income and minority adults.