The Influence of Health Literacy Education on Black Women With Chronic Illness: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of the role health literacy education has on Black women (BW) with chronic illness managing their health at the Undiagnosed and Diagnosed Rare and Chronic Illness Support Group (URCIS) in the United States. The theory that guided this study is the health belief model (HBM), as it suggests that before a person adopts a healthy behavior, they go through six stages first to determine if the behavior change would benefit their health. This study showed the research participants followed the HBM framework as they perceive the threat of illness and they believe in the effectiveness of the recommended health behavior or action; they are more likely to adopt the prescribed behavior. Health literacy is the degree to which one can acquire, process, and understand basic health information to make informed health decisions. The central research question was: What are the perceptions about how health literacy education affects Black women with chronic illness? A hermeneutical qualitative study was conducted on 12 participants who are Black women with chronic disease who currently reside in the United States. The data collection approach consisted of semi-structured individual interviews, focus groups, and journal prompts. The research design was qualitative and used van Manen’s six-step approach to hermeneutical phenomenology. The research findings indicated participants have concerns about unreliable health literacy information, lack of confidence in medical professionals, and health literacy education disparities. Implications for policy and practice based on study outcomes include greater collaboration between government agencies, healthcare providers, and educational institutions and more reliable, accessible, and culturally appropriate information.