News & Information

One challenge wellness professionals constantly face is getting individuals to understand the importance of their health and the value of participating in a worksite wellness program. A major reason for this issue, and therefore the solution, may be hidden in plain sight: health literacy.

Speaker Dr. Alice Burron covered this topic in her session, “Using Health Literacy to Overcome Hidden Barriers to Employee Health” at this year’s Annual Wellness Summit, highlighting the importance of focusing on health literacy in employees for healthier organizations.

What Is Health Literacy?

Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions for themselves and others. It empowers individuals to use health information to think and act in the interest of their well-being.

Why It Matters

Health literacy is essential in preventing health problems, enabling proper management of existing health conditions, and reducing disparities. While this concept may seem basic, it affects everyone. According to the Center for Health Care Strategies, around nine out of ten adults struggle to use everyday health information. This is a matter that deserves ongoing and intentional investment.

For wellness initiatives, health literacy is crucial; rather than participants being extrinsically motivated by onetime rewards or financial incentives, health literacy intrinsically motivates them to engage, because they understand and recognize the importance of wellness. According to the Centers for Disease Control, improved health literacy could prevent “nearly one million hospital visits and save over $25 billion a year.” Health literacy is also a great multiplier, contributing to increased employee retention and engagement.

Hidden Barriers to Health

As with many aspects of health and wellness, there are barriers to health literacy. Aside from external barriers such as location or education, individuals may have other internal barriers obscuring the path to health literacy. Let’s break down four common barriers and how to combat them.

1. Lack of Health Awareness

   Individuals may not recognize early signs and risks or may avoid taking proactive steps to address health issues that arise.

   1. How to combat it: Use curiosity-provoking assessments (Know Your Number screenings, 12-Point Head Inspection, Life Inventory Assessment, etc.) to generate more interest in personal health. Capitalize on people’s natural curiosity. You can also work on reframing health and wellness communications to focus on the emotional and physical payoffs, potential for transformation, attaining aspirations (such as confidence or increased energy), opportunity cost, and simple health swaps. People want to know “what’s in it for me?” even when it comes to their personal health.
2. Health Misinformation

   There is a plethora of false or misleading content out there that confuses people and leads to poor or delayed health decisions.

   1. How to combat it: Provide employees with trusted health resources and help them identify red flags. Think: Does it promise fast results or cures? Does it rely on testimonials vs. data? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Promote critical thinking, not just programs. Encourage thoughtful discussion and work to create a culture where it’s okay to ask questions.
3. Cognitive Biases

   Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts that distort how people perceive, trust, or act on health options/information. Common biases affecting health literacy include confirmation bias, anchoring bias, the bandwagon effect, and black-and-white thinking, among others.

   1. How to combat it: In order to combat cognitive biases, it is important to understand them first. From there, you can diversify employees’ information exposure by curating balanced resources. Rely on the pros and cons of all choices and provide specific examples to help individuals understand the full scope of the issue.
4. Reluctance and Apathy

   Individuals may be resistant, have low motivation, or may not see how health information connects to personal relevance.

   1. How to combat it: Make better health feel achievable, and guide individuals toward “why” they might want to participate. Use open-ended questions to provoke thinking and give individuals the opportunity to identify their own motivations.

Putting the Pieces Together

By now we know: Health literacy means healthier employees. In order to increase health literacy, we must take a person-centered approach, implementing clear communication strategies, tailored educational programs, and (most importantly) supportive and health-conscious environments. By meeting people where they’re at and empowering them to take control of their health, we cultivate a strong culture of wellness within our organizations and communities.

Additional Resources

What is Health Literacy? (Centers for Disease Control)

Understanding Health Literacy (Centers for Disease Control)

Cognitive Biases (The Decision Lab)

Health Shift: Your Personalized Guide to Making Better Health Decisions by Dr. Alice Burro