An individual or group's capacity to search for, understand, and incorporate health behaviors and resources into their lives. High literacy increases self-efficacy and adherence to healthy lifestyle changes, whereas low literacy can impede access to medical care and accurate information. 
The 3 main categories of health literacy are: functional, interactive and critical health literacy.

Health Literacy 

A critical consumer of health information uses their knowledge of empirical evidence and discernment to identify accurate and useful information. Both media and health literacy are important to make informed decisions about healthcare. 

Grand Valley State University

Magazines, blogs, television, and social media can all be sources of "edutainment" that disseminate useful health information in addition to other content such as beauty, sports, news, etc. While there is potential to use the media as an effective vehicle for public health information, the way it is conveyed  can introduce bias, misconceptions, and overgeneralizations.

Public Health Information and Misinformation in the Media

Sanchez, N., & Jones, H. (2016). “Less Than A Wife”: A Study of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Content in Teen and Women’s Digital Magazines. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 18(6). https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.5417


"Less Than A Wife": A Study of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Content in Teen and Women's Digital Magazines

Critical Consumption of Health Media

While PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility and affects 7-10% of women of reproductive age, there is both a lack of public awareness of and research on PCOS. 

Learn Before

Related

Learn After