Christina Zarcadoolas, PhD
Christina Zarcadoolas is a sociolinguist, nationally known for her work in health and environmental literacy. She works at the intersection of linguistics and cultural studies, focusing on analyzing and closing the gaps between expert knowledge and public understanding of health and environmental issues. She is Associate Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Dept. of Community and Preventive Medicine. Prior to that she spent 10 years on the faculty of Brown University. Dr. Zarcadoolas is the lead author of Advancing Health Literacy: A Framework for Understanding and Action (Jossey Bass, 2006) to critical acclaim. The textbook presents a multi dimensional model of health literacy that includes the domains of fundamental literacy, science literacy, cultural literacy and civic literacy. The New England Journal of Medicine recently called the book “required reading” for public health professionals.
At Brown University’s Center for Environmental Studies she developed and taught : Public Perception of the Environment, and Environmental Communications.
At Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Dr. Zarcadoolas teaches: Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods; Health Literacy: Can the Public Be Healthy Without It?, and Floods Pestilence and Plague: Communicating Complex Emergencies.
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Selected Publications – Christina Zarcadoolas
Zarcadoolas,C., & Pleasant, A. 2008. “Increasing Health Literacy” in Parker, JC & Thorson, E. (Ed) Healthcare Communication in the New Media Landscape. New York, NY: Springer, 2008.
Zarcadoolas,C., J. Boyer, A.Krishnaswami, & A. Rothenberg. (2007). “How usable are current GIS maps: communicating emergency preparedness to vulnerable populations?” Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. http://www.bepress.com/jhsem/vol4/iss3/16/
Zarcadoolas, C., Pleasant, A. & Greer, D.S. (2006). Advancing Health Literacy: a framework for understanding and action. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Zarcadoolas C, Pleasant A, Greer DS. 2005. Understanding health literacy: An expanded model. Health Promotion International. 20:195-203.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=15788526&dopt=Abstract
Borkan JM, Zarcadoolas C, Pleasant A, Goldman R, Thomas M, Bell J, Scott. HD. 2004. The View from the Trenches: Primary Care Practitioners’ Views of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Medicine and Health Rhode Island. Vol.87 No.11 347-349
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15631304&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum
Zarcadoolas C. 2005. Environmental Literacy. Literacy Update. Vol.14 No.3 1 January.
Rudestam K, Brown P, Zarcadoolas C, Mansell C. 2004. Children’s Asthma Experience and the Importance of Place. Health. Vol.8, No.4, October. 423-444.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15358897&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum
Zarcadoolas C, Pleasant A, Greer DS. (2003). Elaborating a definition of health literacy: A Commentary. Journal of Health Communication. Vol.8 Supplement 1. 119-120.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14692577&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum
Zarcadoolas C. Blanco M, Pleasant A, Boyer JF. 2002. Unweaving the Web: An Exploratory Study of Low-Literate Adults’ Navigation Skills on the World Wide Web. J Health Comm. Jul-Sep; 7 (4):309-24.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12356289&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum
Zarcadoolas C., Timm E., Bibeault L. 2001. Brownfields: a case study in partnering with residents to develop an easy-to-read print guide. J of Environmental Health. Vol.64, No. 1 15-20. July/August.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11460612&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum
Broadcasts
SUNY Albany’s hour long satellite broadcast T2B2 Third Thursday Breakfast Broadcast “Environmental Health Literacy.” T2B2 SSUNY Albany, School of Public Health. (February 16 2006).
http://media1.acs.albany.edu:8080/ramgen/cellar/sph/environmental_health_literacy.rm
Special Invitations
2006 “Advancing Health Literacy Through an Expanded Model.” Paper presented at Surgeon General’s Workshop on Improving Health Literacy. Sept. 7, 2006 Bethesda, Maryland.
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Book Reviews
The New England Journal of Medicine (View PDF)
Choice (View PDF)