Health literacy research’s growth, challenges, and frontiers

Abstract This chapter discusses how health literacy research has evolved. It provides a brief history, reviews some of health literacy’s conceptual underpinnings, notes the range of current research, addresses some current research gaps, and encourages future research. This chapter introduces the rapid expansion of health literacy research into diverse areas of clinical medicine, the health-care delivery system, nonclinical settings, and health communication areas. This chapter also explores some of the current challenges in health literacy research and provides a brief conclusion. Although this chapter emphasizes health literacy research and developments in the US, some international health literacy work is included. The topics within this chapter’s five sections are an introduction; four milestones (and other developments) in health literacy research’s growth; health literacy’s evolving definition and conceptual underpinnings; the spectrum of health literacy research; health literacy research’s current needs and frontiers; and a conclusion.