Hirono Ishikawa
Teikyo University Graduate School of Public Health
The communication of health and medical information has been recognized as a key social determinant of health, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Healthy People 2030 report revised the definition of health literacy, distinguishing between personal health literacy (the ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use health information) and organizational health literacy (the structures, environments, and systems that facilitate equitable access to health information). This updated definition emphasizes the need to improve health literacy among vulnerable populations and to enhance organizational health literacy by simplifying health information and healthcare systems. A critical component of organizational health literacy is the communication competency of healthcare and public health professionals. Effective health communication must deliver credible and trusted information that is accessible, understandable, and actionable for the intended audience. Achieving this goal requires ensuring easy access to health information, clear and accurate communication, and support for decision-making?elements that are closely tied to professional health literacy. This paper explores the health literacy needed by healthcare and public health professionals and discusses how nudge theory can be applied to enhance professional health literacy.
Masaki Takebayashi 1)2)
1) Aomori University
2) Aomori University of Health and Welfare
Individuals are commonly influenced by cognitive biases, leading them to procrastinate when taking health-related actions even when they recognize the importance of health. One approach for encouraging such individuals is known as nudging, which refers to any aspect of the choice architecture that predictably alters individuals’ behavior without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives. However, nudging has faced various criticisms, such as “nudges are covert, and their effectiveness diminishes when their mechanisms are revealed,” “nudges do not result in sustained behavioral change,” and “nudges may be effective for dietary behaviors but not for promoting physical activity.” Potential solutions to these challenges include “enhancing the transparency of nudges,” “combining nudges with information provision to improve health literacy,” and “developing health applications that integrate nudging strategies.”
Yasumasa Eguchi
School of Health Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan (until end of March 2025)
Combining nudging with health literacy enhancement may offer a more effective approach for promoting behavioral change than conventional approaches. With the advancement of digital transformation, information and communication technology and artificial intelligence have made health information more accessible. However, the prevalence of misinformation highlights the need to strengthen literacy for critical appraisal. Health literacy comprises four key aspects: “access,” “understand,” “appraise,” and “use,” each requiring distinct skills. While nudging directly influences “decision-making” and “behavior” in the “use” phase, habitual reliance on nudging may reduce opportunities for independent evaluation and lead to unintended consequences. Therefore, fostering health literacy, particularly critical literacy, is essential. Health education plays a crucial role in enhancing health literacy, and one effective approach is “boosting.” Boosting includes various strategies, such as “risk literacy boosts,” which enhance critical thinking, and “motivation boosts,” which increase engagement. To sustain motivation, incorporating elements of “fun” is valid. By integrating enjoyable experiences into interventions, behavioral change can be made more effective.
Copyright © Japanese Association of Health Communication