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Developing a Short Assessment of Environmental Health Literacy (SA-EHL)

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  • Diana Rohlman

    (College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA)

  • Molly L. Kile

    (College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA)

  • Veronica L. Irvin

    (College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA)

Abstract

Environmental health literacy (EHL) is defined as the understanding of how the environment can impact human health, yet there are few tools to quantify EHL. We adapted the Short Assessment of Health Literacy (SAHL) to create the Short Assessment of Environmental Health Literacy (SA-EHL). Using the Amazon mTurk platform, users ( n = 864) completed the 18-item SAHL and the 17-item SA-EHL. The SA-EHL was originally tested with 30 items; 13 items were removed because they were outside the acceptable difficulty parameters (DIFF: −0.4–4.0) or because of limited variance (>90% correct or incorrect), resulting in the final 17 items. Overall, participants scored highly on the SAHL, with 89.9% exhibiting high literacy. In contrast, the majority had low EHL (<1.0% high literacy, 99.2% low literacy) measured by the SA-EHL. The two scales were not correlated with each other (R 2 = 0.013) as measured via linear regression and dichotomous variables. Scores on the SAHL and the SA-EHL were positively correlated with education. The SAHL was positively correlated with age, gender and marital status, whereas the SA-EHL was not. The SA-EHL can be used to gauge EHL for communities, and the results used to improve interventions and research translation materials.

Suggested Citation

  • Diana Rohlman & Molly L. Kile & Veronica L. Irvin, 2022. "Developing a Short Assessment of Environmental Health Literacy (SA-EHL)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-15, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:4:p:2062-:d:747939
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Diana Rohlman & Jamie Donatuto & Myk Heidt & Michael Barton & Larry Campbell & Kim A. Anderson & Molly L. Kile, 2019. "A Case Study Describing a Community-Engaged Approach for Evaluating Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure in a Native American Community," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Marti Lindsey & Shaw-Ree Chen & Richmond Ben & Melissa Manoogian & Jordan Spradlin, 2021. "Defining Environmental Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Kathleen M. Gray & Victoria Triana & Marti Lindsey & Benjamin Richmond & Anna Goodman Hoover & Chris Wiesen, 2021. "Knowledge and Beliefs Associated with Environmental Health Literacy: A Case Study Focused on Toxic Metals Contamination of Well Water," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-14, September.
    4. Monica D. Ramirez-Andreotta & Julia Green Brody & Nathan Lothrop & Miranda Loh & Paloma I. Beamer & Phil Brown, 2016. "Improving Environmental Health Literacy and Justice through Environmental Exposure Results Communication," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-27, July.
    5. Maureen Y. Lichtveld & Hannah H. Covert & Mya Sherman & Arti Shankar & Jeffrey K. Wickliffe & Cecilia S. Alcala, 2019. "Advancing Environmental Health Literacy: Validated Scales of General Environmental Health and Environmental Media-Specific Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-12, October.
    6. Veronica L. Irvin & Diana Rohlman & Amelia Vaughan & Rebecca Amantia & Claire Berlin & Molly L. Kile, 2019. "Development and Validation of an Environmental Health Literacy Assessment Screening Tool for Domestic Well Owners: The Water Environmental Literacy Level Scale (WELLS)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-17, March.
    7. Kathleen M. Gray, 2018. "From Content Knowledge to Community Change: A Review of Representations of Environmental Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-17, March.
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