Literacy and health literacy as defined in cancer education research: A systematic review

Background Limited literacy and health literacy are associated with lack of cancer screening and later stage cancer diagnoses. Objective To systematically review the literature for definitions of literacy and health literacy as related to patient access, use, and comprehension of cancer prevention and treatment education. Methods Original research articles written from 1992 to 2006 inclusive with the terms health literacy and/or literacy in the title, abstract or key words and explicitly linked to cancer information were found by searching MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CSA Sociological Abstracts, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Results A final sample of 78 studies was included in this review. Forty-five articles mentioned literacy, seven were on health literacy, and 26 discussed both literacy and health literacy. Only 15 articles (19.2 per cent) defined literacy and/or health literacy. Conclusion This systematic review indicates that definitions of literacy and health literacy are not being used consistently in the cancer education literature. Best practice definitions of literacy and health literacy are important, especially when screening individuals for their understanding of cancer prevention and treatment information.