Week 4 Discussion Course NSG4410

Sample Answer

Muvuka, B., Combs, R. M., Ayangeakaa, S. D., Ali, N. M., Wendel, M. L., & Jackson, T. (2020). Health Literacy in African-American Communities Barriers and Strategies. Health Literacy Research and Practice, 4(3), e138–e143. https //doi.org/10.3928/24748307-20200617-01

The article discusses low health literacy (LHL) among African American (AA) communities as a cultural barrier that leads to health disparities among AAs. LHL has been identified as an independent predictor of racial/ethnic disparities in health behaviors like smoking, diet, exercise, and adherence to treatment, access to health care resources, and health outcomes.

Muvuka et al. (2020) explain that AAs face disproportionate LHL, which is founded on historically unjust power structures. Discriminatory policies and practices limit AAs’ access to resources and skills essential to acquiring, understanding, and applying health information.

The health care system plays a role in creating disparities in health literacy for AAs by historically failing to accommodate the populations’ needs and preferences when delivering services and health information. Furthermore, AAs mistrust the healthcare system owing to negative past experiences.

This has affected health literacy development in this community as it interferes with interactions with the healthcare system, access to healthcare resources, and health-related decision-making.

Reference

• Muvuka, B., Combs, R. M., Ayangeakaa, S. D., Ali, N. M., Wendel, M. L., & Jackson, T. (2020). Health Literacy in African-American Communities Barriers and Strategies. Health Literacy Research and Practice, 4(3), e138–e143. https //doi.org/10.3928/24748307-20200617-01