In this chapter the relationships between literacy proficiency and a range of social outcomes, including self-reported health status and civic engagement, are explored. The chapter also looks at access to and use of Information and Communications Technologies and the factors related to their use.
Differences in reported health status appear to be related to document literacy proficiency. Respondents reporting poor health score lower on the document literacy scale compared with those reporting fair, good or excellent health. Although the nature of this relationship needs to be explored further, the evidence is sufficiently clear to suggest that health issues and literacy issues intersect.
Higher levels of prose literacy are associated with higher engagement in various community activities. Literacy may be a key factor in building a socially engaged community, while such a community in turn may be more likely to develop a literacy rich environment to sustain and improve its literacy base.
Patterns of Internet and computer access at home confirm the existence of“ digital divides” in Canada among the population aged 16 to 65 years. Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon Territory have computer access rates close to 80 percent and Internet connectivity rates around 70 percent. Penetration rates are lower in the other jurisdictions.
There are substantive differences between provinces and territories in the respondents’ reported perceived usefulness and attitude toward computers, the diversity and intensity of Internet use, and the use of computers for task-oriented, mainly work related purposes. Index scores are particularly high in British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.
Many factors including age, gender, and level of education are associated with adults’ familiarity with and use of computers and the Internet. Age exerts a particularly strong effect on computer use. Literacy proficiency also exerts a significant effect on ICT familiarity and use. The influence of literacy on computer use has been known to be mediated by the effects of other variables such as the factors identified above. But evidence has also shown that literacy has a net and independent effect on ICT familiarity and use (Veenhof et al, 2005). Further research is needed to shed more light on economic and social outcomes associated with ICT and literacy proficiency.
1. For similar analyses of data for the six countries participating in the ALL survey, see Veenhof, Clermont and Sciadas (2005). For detailed international and provincial comparisons using the 16 to 65 age group, refer to Veenhof, Clermont and Sciadas (forthcoming).
2. Bermuda, Canada, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and the United States of America. See OECD and Statistics Canada (2005, p. 197) for the comparative results about computer access and Internet connectivity.
3. The average prose literacy score for computer users in Canada was 289 and was 214 for non-users; the difference of 75 is significant.