Student Health Force^® Helps Youth Take Action

to Advance Health Literacy

Lancaster, PA – October is Health Literacy Month, a time to raise awareness about the importance of understandable health information. InnerLink's online health curriculum and peer mentoring program, Student Health Force, helps integrate health literacy into schools and encourages students to become advocates for health.

Nearly 9 out of 10 adults have problems finding and using health information. The cost to our nation of poor health literacy is estimated to be between $100 and $200 billion U.S. dollars (USD) annually.¹ We can change this by educating our youth. Student Health Force helps youth understand how to interpret health information and make educated decisions. Once the students Learn it! they begin to Live it! by making healthy choices, and then the students Share it! as they become advocates for their own health and the health of their friends and family. With this type of active and engaging learning, students can gain a deeper understanding of the concepts provided, in turn creating a generation of health literate citizens.

In honor of Health Literacy Month, be sure to recognize health education specialists for all that they do to improve the public’s health by promoting health literacy. Take this opportunity to help students understand how to: read nutrition labels, take medication correctly, communicate with health care providers, and know when and where to seek care.

Ideas for Schools

• Download Student Health Force^® posters to promote health literacy and healthy lifestyles throughout your school and community
• Decorate the hallways with “Health Literacy” themed materials
• Download and send home a Student Health Force^® backpack newsletter to promote health activities for the entire family
• Check out Health eTools for Schools^® for ways you can help your students be healthy
• Use Student Health Force^® online curriculum to teach your students about lifelong healthy habits
• Launch a Student Health Force^® club at your school
• Host a health fair at your school

About InnerLink, Inc. - Headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, InnerLink, Inc., is a health and wellness company combining information technology with an impressive set of content to influence, support, and document outcomes that prevent disease and promote health. For more information, visit www.theinnerlink.com.

About Student Health Force - Student Health Force enrichment program helps students become advocates for health, while facilitating the inclusion of health education into core subject areas through easy-to-use online health curriculum. Student Health Force curriculum is aligned with national education health standards and presented in three motivating blocks: Learn it! (knowledge), Live it! (application), and Share it! (advocacy). For more information, visit www.studenthealthforce.com.

¹Kutner, M., Greenberg, E., Jin, Y., & Paulsen, C. (2006). The Health Literacy of America’s Adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.