Date of Publication
2023
Abstract
Background: Health literacy and effective health communications are growing areas of concern. This project aims to determine differences in health literacy and preferred communication methods of health information between Vermont rural and urban populations.
Methods: In-person surveys were conducted in Vermont rural and urban settings. Clinical trials were used as a baseline example of health communication to gather information on preferred methods of receiving health information, and comfort interpreting health information. Survey questions were developed using pre-established questionnaire guidelines from CDC health status surveys. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel and GraphPad Prism 6. Chi-squared and unpaired T-tests were used for data comparison.
Results: 272 individuals completed the initial survey with 262 meeting inclusion criteria. Of the 262 respondents, 89% white (n=233) and 54% female (n=141), 55% had a bachelor’s degree or higher (n=145); 14.5% reported having previously participated in a clinical trial (n=38). Distribution of zip codes based on Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codes showed individuals from rural area populations (RUCA = 10) and metropolitan area core populations (RUCA = 1). Survey results found statistical significance between rural and urban populations in comparing health communication preferences, with rural participants significantly preferring television and social media as outlets to receive health information.
Conclusions: Both urban and rural residents most frequently selected healthcare providers as a preferred communication outlet, followed closely by the internet. Mean confidence level differences between rural and urban populations for multiple modalities of medical information were not statistically significant.
Advisor(s)
Jan Carney, MD, MPH
Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont
Tom Delaney, PhD
Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont
Nancy Kaplan, MS
Community Agency Mentor
Elizabeth Woods, PhD
Community Agency Mentor
Subjects
Access to Health Services, Health Care Access and Quality, Health Communication, Health Communication and Health Information Technology, Social and Community Context, Social Determinants of Health
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
Recommended Citation
Norton, Casey; Memishian, Wendy; Kohl, Sarah; Gorman, Kyle M.; Zeb, Muhammad H.; Aziz, Haziq; Lamarre, Taylor; and Thompson, Adam B., "Improving Health Communication: Testing Preferences and Choices for Health Information to Improve Literacy" (2023). Public Health Projects, 2008-present. 344.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/344
