A
partnership between St. Francis Xavier University, community health
and literacy organizations in northeastern Nova Scotia, Canada.
This project is funded through a grant from the Social Sciences
and Humanities Research Council of Canada. |
The Health
Literacy in Rural Nova Scotia
Research Project
Project Background
For years,
many residents in rural northeastern Nova Scotia have faced difficult
socio-economic conditions with limited education, unemployment, and
poverty shaping their daily lives.
Special
economic and social challenges face certain population groups, especially
those living in Mi'kmaq and Black communities.
- The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS)
(1995) found that 47% of Canadian adults have difficulty using the
written word.
- The percentage of Atlantic Canadians with
limited literacy skills is higher than the national average.1
- Compared to other Canadians, Nova Scotians
have higher rates of chronic disease. They are also more likely to
face socioeconomic conditions, such as limited education and income,
now known to increase chronic disease risk.2
- Health literacy was identified as an issue
of concern by the Antigonish Town and County Community Health Board
- Workshops were held to explore the issue
and a community partnership was developed to guide a research project
- Advisory Panel was formed to raise awareness
of health literacy, and to provide advice in recruiting participants
and disseminating results to influence programs and policies
1 Statistics Canada,
Cat No. 89-552-MPE, No. 1
2 Coleman, R. (2002). The Cost of Chronic Disease in Nova Scotia. GPI:
Atlantic
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in collaboration with the HLNSPROJ