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Elena Carbone, professor of nutrition and associate dean for curriculum and academic oversight at the Commonwealth Honors College, recently served as a presenter and moderator at the Second Global Health Literacy Summit, held Sept. 18-20 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Carbone co-presented a workshop, “Health Literacy Research Methods, Measures and Reach,” with Tuyen Van Duong from Taipei Medical University. Their session combined presentations with small group discussion, starting with an overview of research methods and issues to consider when selecting appropriate methods. The session also focused on various health literacy measures, including how to select the right ones for the research focus, validation issues and translating and adapting instruments. The session concluded with a discussion of how to work with and for diverse cultures when conducting health literacy research.

In addition to the workshop, Carbone served as moderator for a session, “Health Literacy, Children and Schools” and gave a poster presentation “Maternal Health Literacy and Empowerment in the United States: A Scoping Review.”

Health literacy, as defined by the World Health Organization, represents “the personal competencies and organizational structures, resources and commitment which enable people to access, understand, appraise and use information and services in ways which promote and maintain good health.”

More than 200 scholars representing 40 countries attended the summit, themed, “Health Literacy for People and Planet: Highlighting its importance for equity and sustainable development” and hosted by the International Health Literacy Association (IHLA). Carbone has been a member of the IHLA since its inception in 2016 and currently serves as elected vice chair of its Committee on Research Standards.

Carbone works in community settings to examine how low income, culturally diverse populations with limited literacy skills attend to and process health information. Her mixed methods research engages communities and integrates behavioral interventions to promote health and prevent chronic disease complications.