HealthyU-Native: A Technology-Based Tool for Addressing Health Literacy in Native American/Alaska Native Secondary Students

Project Summary/Abstract Given the substantial impacts that limited health literacy has on health outcomes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics, World Health Organization, American School Health Association, Indian Health Service, National Institute of Medicine, and the Society for Public Health Education, among others, are calling for action to improve health literacy across all levels of the U.S. population. Native Americans and Alaska Natives (NA/ANs), in particular, face significant challenges as co-occurring health disparities and limited access to healthcare further compounds the problem of low health literacy, resulting in elevated rates of poor health outcomes and lower life expectancy. Moreover, studies reveal that NA/AN populations are amongst the highest at-risk for limited health literacy in the U.S., with only 7% demonstrating proficiency on health literacy related tasks. These findings are concerning as limited health literacy adversely impacts the use of preventative services, minimizes visits to healthcare facilities, increases nonadherence to medical prescriptions, and leads to higher rates of preventable hospital visits and use of emergency services. In this Phase I SBIR application, we propose to develop a proof-of-concept for a commercially viable technology-based solution, HealthyU-Native, designed to improve health literacy for secondary NA/AN students. HealthyU-Native will be a web/mobile-app based, self-paced curriculum, featuring animated instructional videos, live-action video modeling, graphics-rich printed materials, and engaging interactive games and activities. The initial prototype will be adapted from the successful HealthyU program and will focus on critical health literacy skills such as accessing and using insurance, medication management, responding to medical emergencies, and accessing health-related resources and services in the community. The program will also feature culturally relevant content, including navigating Indian Health Services and traditional NA/AM principles, ethics, and practices in medical care. The prototype will be developed through an iterative design process in collaboration with NA/AN students and key community members (i.e., elders, educators, and health providers). Following development, we will assess program feasibility, usability, and improvements in knowledge and skill with 40 secondary NA/AN students in preparation for a Phase II evaluation.