ShodhPatra: International Journal of Science and Humanities

Mediating the relationship between socioeconomic status and health disparities: A Systematic review on Media health literacy

Media Health literacy is the skill that individuals gain to interpret health information and use their knowledge to impart health related information. In the global world of information spreading the proper understanding of messages are essential to attain health literacy. It is explained as the behavioural concept i.e. acquired by changing aspects of life. Media plays a special role as educator and social media itself as informants to users. Socio Economic conditions, communication aspect-language, message interpretation, cultural-beliefs, geographical conditions form the barrier. The message should flow from down to top as the target is individual and then from the public to society as a whole. The paper tries to identify the gap in communicating health literacy in the information splendour world. Target is to identify the major disparities for Media health literacy. A systematic review was conducted to identify how social determinants are interrelated with health. The belief in traditional health care, communication gap, low economic living conditions etc. form the main reason for this disparity. Communication problems such as either language barriers or illiteracy are also the social determinants existing in the heterogeneous population where migration and immigration is taking place. Media can overcome this problem with more intervention among vulnerable sections. Communication can bridge gaps in balancing health literacy. Changing behavioural concepts and health beliefs has to be shaped according to the individual needs. Society with heterogeneous populations needs more care as individuals are the target group.