Literacy and health
Poor literacy skills among adults are surprisingly
common in developed countries. Estimates of the proportion
of the population in individual Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries
lacking functional literacy skills range from 7% to 47%
(UN Development Program, 2007). In developing countries
these figures are far higher. Though there is a range of
definitions of functional literacy, most focus on the ability
to read basic text and write a simple statement on everydaylife.
Functional literacy is important. It is through these
skills of reading and writing that those who are literate are
able to participate more fully in society, both economically
and socially, and are able to understand and exert a higher
degree of control over everyday events.