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Literacy and NFE and Health
Education and health go hand in hand. Recent studies report the
direct link between adult education and the health of the family.
The acquisition of literacy skills and basic education leads to
demonstrated improvement in health status and positively impacts disease
prevention and children's health.
Studies suggest that literate adults are
healthier and raise healthier children. Education and literacy creates changes
in habits which, in turn, affect health. Literate adults can better equip
themselves with information and knowledge to improve their children's
and family's health and nutrition status. In this regard, mothers are
considered particularly important as a target population of Literacy and
Non Formal Education
programs. An educated mother is more prone to use health services to:
- obtain vaccines
- obtain contraceptives
- space pregnancies
- engage in healthier domestics activities
- engage in nutritious eating habits
- obtain better knowledge of hygiene (Bown,
1990; Comings, 1995)
The case of Nicaragua
Sandiford et al (1995:5) surveyed
women who have participated in the 1980 adult literacy campaign after
ten years (excluding those who had ever been to school) with those of
similar social economic status who had not been part of that campaign.
The study showed a statistically significant drop in infant mortality
over time among those who have participated in Adult
Literacy programs. They also found that the drop associated
with having been made literate in primary school was even greater. (Lauglo,
2001)
The case of Uganda
Adult Literacy and Non Formal
Education program often include health and hygiene related topics.
(Okech
et al., 1999, chapter 7) after evaluating functional adult
education in Uganda, found that the participants in Adult Literacy
and Non Formal Education programs reported a range of health and hygiene
related practices such as: digging a pit latrine and keeping it clean,
digging a rubbish pit, putting a rack up for utensils, boiling
water, washing hands, covering up food.
LeVine (1999) argues that another reason
for the strong connection between literacy and health could be the
effect of improved communication skills which literacy gives people -not
only in formulating their own messages but also in understanding both
written and oral messages from others. (Lauglo, 2001).
References
- Bown, Lalage .(1990). Preparing the Future - Women, Literacy and
Development. The impact of female literacy on human
development and the participation of literate women in change.
London: ActionAid.
- Comings, John P. (1995). Literacy Skill Retention in Adult
Students in Developing Countries. International Journal of
Educational Development 15 (No.1, 1995, pp.37-45)
- LeVine, Robert A. (1999).
Literacy and Population Change. In Daniel A. Wagner, Richard L.
Venezky and Brian Street (1999). Literacy. An International Handbook.
Boulder: Westview Press. p.300-305
- Raquiba, A. J. (2000). Promoting
Health Literacy: A Case Study in the Prevention of Diarrhoeal
Disease from Bangladesh. Health Promotion International,
15(4), 285.
- Sandiford, P. J. , Cassel, M.
Montenegro and G. Sanchez (1995). The Impact of Women's
Literacy on Child Health and its Interaction with Access to Health
Services. Population Studies, 49, 5-17.
- UNESCO Institute for Education (UIE)
(1997). Health
Promotion and Health Education for Adults. In Adult
learning and the Challenges of the 21st Century. Booklet 6b.
Document from the workshop held at the Fifth International
Conference on Adult Education, Hamburg (CONFINTEA V).
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