University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Information and Health Literacy in the Balance: Findings from a Study Exploring the Use of ICTs in Weight Management

Marshall, Audrey; Henwood, Flis; Guy, Elizabeth S.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/31891

Description

Title
Information and Health Literacy in the Balance: Findings from a Study Exploring the Use of ICTs in Weight Management
Author(s)
  • Marshall, Audrey
  • Henwood, Flis
  • Guy, Elizabeth S.
Issue Date
2012
Keyword(s)
Information literacy
Abstract
This article uses findings from a UK Department of Health funded research study known as Net.Weight to reflect on the concept of information literacy as it relates to consumer health. It explores how the results support and develop an understanding of information and health literacy and it offers recommendations for policy and practice. The study was located in the city of Brighton & Hove and examined the potential for information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support people who were self-managing their weight. The research comprised five interlocking components, at the heart of which was a series of participatory learning workshops designed to develop participant skills in relation to ICTs, information, and health literacy. The results indicate that a broader and more social understanding of information literacy is needed to ensure a better “fit” between the provision and use of health information. They also indicate that ICTs can augment information provision and support activities, but that a “blended” approach is necessary, where online and “real world” communication work in tandem.
Publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ISSN
0024-2594
Type of Resource
text
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/31891
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2012.0006
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2012 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Owning Collections

Library Trends 60 (3) Winter 2012: Information Literacy Beyond the Academy, Part II PRIMARY
Library Trends 60 (3) Winter 2012: Information Literacy Beyond the Academy, Part II: Organizational Issues, Theoretical Perspectives, and Practical Initiatives. Edited by John Crawford.