Publication Date
Spring 5-28-2025
Item Type
Text
Executive Summary
Enhancing Health Literacy in Adolescents at a Homeless Shelter
Over the past two months, our group of seven Seattle Pacific Nursing Students collaborated with a local nonprofit homeless shelter for families. After meeting with the agency’s health services coordinator, we decided to focus on the teen population and enhance their health literacy. This choice was due to our population primarily not being exposed to the American healthcare system. Our team gathered information from the teens and found that nutrition, sleep, and mental health were of particular interest. Based on this, we planned and implemented a health literacy intervention tailored to their needs.
Background
Low health literacy is often related to poor preventive behaviors, unhealthy diet, increased substance use, increased use of emergency services, obesity, poor medication adherence, and decreased satisfaction with disease status and health care (Park et al., 2018). Additionally, the health literacy of adolescents is a cost-effective preventive measure against adverse health outcomes later in life, which are more expensive. Our agency liaison suggested focusing on teen health due to limited resources and the underserved nature of this group. We wanted to provide an interactive education session to enhance our target population's health literacy and equip them with resources to help with health-related decision making.
Activities with rationale
Four weeks before our scheduled intervention, we went to the agency during their lunch hour to build rapport with the teens and learn about their health interests. We prioritized building a trusting relationship by engaging informally, then solicited input from the teens to identify their areas of interest. Based on their input, we created a poster highlighting key aspects of mental health, sleep, and nutrition, along with a take-home pamphlet designed at a 4th-grade reading level—mid-range for teen literacy (National Literacy Institute, 2024). The pamphlet included evidence-based health resources and advice. Additionally, we organized a larger event where we engaged directly with the teens in group conversations based on their areas of interest.
To encourage participation in the event, we hosted an event with pizza and soda to create a welcoming atmosphere. Activities included bracelet-making with affirmation words as a healthy method of managing stress, and an interactive quiz was created to assess their nutrition knowledge. Game-based learning platforms, such as quizzes, are shown to increase participation in a learning environment while also improving comprehension of the material (Ozedemir, 2024).
Outcomes
Our group hosted an hour-long, in-person event at the shelter to enhance the teens’ health literacy on nutrition, sleep, and mental health. During the event, we set up our poster and handed out pamphlets that included information and resources on our topics. Teenagers attended our intervention, and all agreed to take a pamphlet with them. We divided into two groups and discussed the pamphlet while doing an arts and crafts activity with the teenagers, to foster an informal yet educational environment.
To assess understanding, we implemented an evidence-based teach-back method by creating an interactive quiz game. This method verifies participants' understanding by prompting them to verbalize concepts in their own words (Yen & Leasure, 2019). Every participant was able to share at least one key takeaway from each of the topics, demonstrating strong understanding. By answering quiz questions correctly, the teenagers demonstrated both competency and confidence in the material. These findings suggest that the use of an interactive quiz enhanced engagement and learning within our target population.
Conclusion
The intervention to enhance teenagers’ knowledge of nutrition, sleep hygiene, and mental health was both effective and engaging. The use of interactive games and prizes not only captured the participants’ attention but also served as valuable tools for learning. We also incorporated the teach-back method, which allowed us to confirm that the teens understood the information being presented. Through one-on-one conversations with the participants, we also gained insight into their daily habits and challenges, enabling us to provide personalized guidance and support. Their responses and engagement indicated that the health literacy level of the materials and activities was appropriate for their age and developmental stage. We left the poster on display and provided a binder filled with additional resources for ongoing sustainability. Overall, the intervention successfully promoted health education in a fun and meaningful way, demonstrating its value for future projects within similar settings.
References
Park, A., Eckert, T. L., Zaso, M. J., Scott-Sheldon, L. A. J., Vanable, P. A., Carey, K. B., Ewart, C. K., Carey, M. P. (2017). Association between health literacy and health behaviors among urban high schoolers. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5669371/
National Literacy Institute. (2024). Literacy statistics 2022–2023. https://www.thenationalliteracyinstitute.com/post/literacy-statistics-2022-2023
Özdemir, O. (2024). Kahoot! Game-based digital learning platform: A comprehensive meta-analysis. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. Wiley Online Library. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.13084
Readability Formulas. (n.d.). Average reading level consensus calculator. https://readabilityformulas.com/calculator-arlc-formula.php
Yen, P. H., & Leasure, A. R. (2019). Use and effectiveness of the teach-back method in patient education and health outcomes. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6590951/#:~:text=By%20using%20the%20teach%2Dback,their%20health%20behavior%20and%20outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Razon, Raymond Don N.; Snedeker, Lauren; Ou, Janice; Nguyen, Chau V.; Johnston, Makenna; Salim, Ruweyda; and Walters, Garett W., "Enhancing Health Literacy in Adolescents at a Homeless Shelter" (2025). Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects. 63.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/shs_nlce/63
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