Health is defined by the World Health Organization as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Literacy is defined as the ability to use printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one’s goals and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.
Heath + Literacy = Health Literacy. Health literacy refers broadly to the ability of a person to access, understand and use information to promote and maintain good health allowing one to make good choices for themselves and others. The month of October is Health Literacy Month.
Author, occupational therapist, educator, health literacy consultant, Helen Osborne, who hails from Natick, established recognition of health literacy in1999 with the goal of improving a