For libraries, especially those on a tight budget, maintaining up-to-date information on physical and mental health for our patrons can be extremely difficult. In Mississippi, where knowledge of mental health disorders, chronic conditions, and other health issues is often minimal, it's vital that libraries do what we can to provide that information to our communities.
This presentation will show you some of the unknown resources libraries can utilize for fostering health literacy in their communities and present easy, cost-effective, and actionable ideas for promoting these resources both in-house and digitally.
3. “
The degree to which individuals have the
capacity to obtain, process, and understand
basic health information needed to make
appropriate health decisions.
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- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
4. HealthLiteracy
is more than just reading skills—it covers every
aspect of how a person uses health information.
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5. only 1 in 10 adults*
(12%) are health literate
Low health literacy leads to higher rates of hospitalization and lower
rates of preventive service use, which raises the cost of healthcare.
14 million adults*are below basic health literacy levels
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*According to the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy
6. Health Literacy Requirements
Must have:
◆ Basic literacy & numeracy
◆ Basic biology knowledge
◆ Digital & media literacy
◆ Critical thinking skills
◆ Cultural competency
◆ Linguistic competency
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In order to:
◆ Access health care services
◆ Analyze relative risks & benefits
◆ Calculate dosages & interpret
test results
◆ Communicate with providers
◆ Locate & evaluate information
8. Mississippi
has one of the lowest health literacy rates in the
country and frequently ranks as one of the lowest
in terms of statewide health quality.
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9. 21%
of Mississippi counties
were at the basic level or below
for health literacy in 2018
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◆more chronic disease
◆more unhealthy behavior
◆shorter life expectancy
◆poorer quality of life
10. Mississippi Health Statistics
10
MS Leading Causes of Death, 2017 Deaths Rate***
State
Rank*
U.S.
Rate**
1. Heart Disease 7,944 231.6 1st 165
2. Cancer 6,526 183.1 2nd 152.5
3. Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 2,037 58.3 3rd 40.9
4. Accidents 1,738 56.3 12th 49.4
5. Stroke 1,723 51.1 2nd 37.6
6. Alzheimer’s disease 1,626 49.5 1st 31
7. Diabetes 1,164 33.3 2nd 21.5
8. Flu/Pneumonia 782 23 2nd 14.3
9. Kidney Disease 741 21.7 1st 13
10. Septicemia 582 16.9 2nd 10.6
* Rankings are from highest to lowest. ** Death rates are age-adjusted.
*** Rates for the U.S. include the District of Columbia and (for births) U.S. territories.
From the CDC's
National Center for
Health Statistics
report on Mississippi
For more statistics:
County Health Rankings
Mississippi 2020 report
American Health Rankings
Mississippi 2019 report.
12. Ugh, he’s nagging
me to clean up
again—he’s so OCD!
You just need to
work harder.
Mental Health Stigma
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We don’t talk
about that
kind of stuff.
That’s not a
real thing.
How often have
you heard things
like this before?
13. Mental Health in Mississippi
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Mississippians with Mental Illness by Year
Alzheimer’s disease 54,000 2018
Intellectual and/or developmental disability 47,000 2017
Youth (12-17) that received major depressive care in the past 9,000 2017
Young adults (18-25) that had an opioid use disorder 4,000 2017
Young adults (18-25) that had an illicit drug use disorder 17,000 2017
Young adults (18-25) that had a substance use disorder 34,000 2017
Young adults (18-25) that had a Serious Mental Illness 14,000 2017
Adults (18+) with serious thoughts of suicide 77,000 2017
Adults (18+) with a Serious Mental Illness 98,000 2017
Adults (18+) that received mental health services 172,000 2017
454,106 adults
faced a mental
illness in 2018
(1 in 5)
90,821 adults faced
Serious Mental
Illness (SMI)
that interfered with
daily life in 2018
(1 in 25)
Statistics from the Mississippi Department of Mental Health’s 2019 Annual Report.
15. Information
is everywhere, but too much information may actually
be part of the problem. What our patrons need are
credible sources for health and medical information.
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16. What kinds of information
do people actually need?
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◆Physical health conditions*
◆Chronic illness/disability
◆Mental health conditions
◆Learning disabilities
◆Specific populations
◆Provider listings
◆Insurance information
◆Financial aid programs
◆Medical terminology
◆Patient guidance
*This includes sexual health, y'all!
17. 3 Plans of Action
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Information Centers
Areas in your library with
publications from reputable
resources that patrons can
browse and take
Digital Displays
Curated displays of
multimedia content on your
library’s website, linked on
social media, etc.
Programming
Can be done virtually,
in person, or both and
can be conducted by
outside presenters.
18. Information Centers
◆ Brochures and pamphlets, posters,
booklets, magazines, business cards,
mailer cards, and other materials
◆ Most health organizations will
o A) send material bundles for free
o B) have printable PDFs available
◆ Display options will vary depending on
library space, budget, etc. Ask for help if
you can’t afford to buy stands and racks
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19. Digital Displays
◆ These can be carousels, LibGuides,
Bitmoji rooms, Wakelets, etc.
◆ Digital displays should link back to
your catalog but should also include
o Downloadable pamphlets
o Links to health info sites
o Multimedia when possible
◆ These don’t have to be high-tech! The
tools listed above have tutorials, too.
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20. Programming
◆ Geared toward specific demographics (age
groups, college students, children and teens)
◆ Healthy eating, cooking, and exercise
◆ Q&A sessions with healthcare providers
and/or insurance experts
◆ Dental and optical health programs
◆ Medical processes and breakthroughs
◆ Presentations—think TED Talks, not college
lectures—on mental and/or chronic disorders
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22. Free Publications & Materials
NIH
Get free publication bundles or
downloads on request for each
subdivision of the National
Institute of Health listed here.
MDH
The MS Dept. of Health also
links to the MS Dept. of Mental
Health and MS Dept. of Human
Services here, and MSDMH has
free downloadable PDFs.
CDC
Pamphlets, infographics, fact
sheets, etc. organized by topic.
Link to CDC Publications
National Foundations
National health foundations
for specific conditions often
send free information and
materials upon request.
Hospitals & GPs
Contact your local and state
hospitals and specialists for
brochures, booklets, and other
publications and materials.
Mental Health Clincs
Contact local psychiatrists,
psychologists, therapists, and
counselors for materials and
info on their offered services
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23. Websites & Databases
Medline Plus
Feature this PROMINENTLY.
They have tons of resources,
videos, easy-to-read guides,
and more here.
MDHS
The Mississippi Department
of Human Services has a tool
here for locating resources.
Herbs at a Glance
This resource from NCCIH has
short fact sheets for specific
herbs and botanicals here,
including drug interactions.
CDC Vaccine Guide
This interactive guide helps
families find information
about recommended vaccines
from birth through adulthood.
NAMI MS
The Mississippi chapter of the
National Alliance on Mental
Illness is full of local resources
and can be found here.
Appointment Guide
This guide from Medline Plus
walks you through what to do
before, during, and after a visit
with your doctor.
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24. Programming Sources
NNLM
The Network of the National
Library of Medicine provides
programming resources here.
Programming Librarian
Check out their health and
wellness tag full of resources
and program plans here.
Libraries Transform
The Libraries Transform health
literacy toolkit gives you
program ideas, graphics, etc.
and can be found here.
Health Libraries on FB
Libraries Are Champions of
Healthy Communities has lots
of programming resources on
their Facebook Group.
PLA Health Tools
PLA provides a list of program
ideas and other health literacy
tools for libraries here.
MSU Extension Service
Their list of programs they put
on for free in libraries all over
the state, including health
programs, can be found here.
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