Part of health literacy is
understanding information. But it is using
information that makes a difference in outcomes. Last time in this space we
discussed new federal regulations from the Consumer Products Safety Commission
that aim to improve crib safety.
That’s good information for health promoters and healthcare professionals,
but how can we offer this information to parents in a way they can use it? To use information, we first
personalize it using interactive and reflective skills. When a mother
personalizes health info, she reflects on: What
does this mean for me, in my situation,in my family with my income,
experience, education, values and living conditions? And then: Now that I have this information, how do I
want to respond? What do I want to do? Information is
most easily personalized and applied in context when it uses familiar words
that do not require judgment or background knowledge. For example, if the info says,
“Slats should be less than 3” apart”, it will pass the readability tests, but
the learner must know the meaning of slats,
know that the symbol “ means inches,
and know or how to use a ruler to measure. And s/he must judge whether should means the distance between the slats is a vital concern or
just a suggestion, so that she can judge whether it worth the trouble to go
find the ruler or someone who knows how to measure. I found few parents used the word slats. More parents used – and nearly
all understood bars. If the info uses
something familiar and handy as a measure, no one needs to understand inches or use measuring devices to
check the space between bars. Further, info is easier to
personalize and put into action when it contains only what the learner needs to
know to take appropriate action. For example, a mother does not need to know
that the Consumer Product Safety Commission sets crib safety standards. She
needs to know how to tell if her crib
is safe for her baby
info easy to use with a Crib Safety Check
List. Ideally, the checklist is
the focus of a reflective conversation on sleep safety, or it may be used in
self-directed learning. The checklist is interactive and reflective; it
requires the learner to think and check Yes or No to three statements. This
takes the learning deeper faster by using muscles in addition to the
brain. In the process, the learner
teaches herself to determine whether the crib is safe and what makes it safe or
not. Here’s
the part about distance between slats. No rulers or knowledge of measurement
needed. No polysyllabic words. The
text sounds like something a person would actually say in conversation. See the
full Checklist here (choose Parents Guide and go to page 22). The
2012 edition will add this item to reflect new safety standards: ·
The sides of the crib do not fold down…. |
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CategoriesBeginnings GuidesBreastfeeding Health Education Health Literacy Parenting Education Prenatal Education |
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