The term health literacy was first used in the health education context over thirty years ago.67 Today it
is considered an important concept, not only among health education practitioners, but also among
those involved in the broader aspects of health promotion. A redefinition of the term health literacy
first appeared in the WHO Glossary where it was suggested that, "Health literacy represents the
cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to,
understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health."68 In addition, the
glossary notes that, "Health literacy means more than
being able to read pamphlets and successfully make
appointments. By improving people's access to health
information and their capacity to use it effectively, health
literacy is crucial to empowerment."
This definition represents a considerable expansion of
earlier functional definitions of health literacy such as
"being able to apply literacy skills to health related
materials such as prescriptions, appointment cards, medicine labels, and directions for home health
care"69, or the following the U.S. National Library of Medicine definition of health literacy: "the degree
to which people can obtain, process and understand basic health information and services they need to
make acceptable health decisions