National cancer institute’s ethnic and low literacy nutrition education project

The term “literacy” has been defined in the National Literacy Act of 1991 * as “an individual’s ability to read, write, and speak in English, and compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one’s goals, and develop one’s knowledge and potential.” Illiteracy exists everywhere and can be found in all socioeconomic strata in the United States,I.2 although it is most prevalent among persons oflow socioeconomic status. I-4 As many as 18% (1.5 million people) of New York City’s population are functionally illiterate.3 In other large but less urbanized cities, such as Phoenix, Arizona, the situation is proportionally similar. 5 In rural areas where high school completion rates are often below the rates of central cities, illiteracy is also common. American-born whites make up the largest number of illiterate adults; however, illiteracy is proportionally more prevalent among ethnic minority groups, adding to the major social and economic obstacles these groups face. 7 The results of recent research by Weiss et al. 8 suggest that in the United States, as in many nonindustrialized nations, there is a relation between poor literacy skills and poor health. Minorities will comprise an increasing share of America’s population in the future; the U.S. Bureau of the Census predicts that by the year 2020, approximately 40% of school-age Americans will be minority children.9 Thus, the health and well-being of minority people is not only a matter of social justice, but of national self-interest as well. This paper provides a brief overview of the National Cancer Institute’s Ethnic and Low Literacy Nutrition Education Project, and a presentation of the key insights gained as a result of developing intercultural nutrition education materials for this project.