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The Concept of Health Literacy and its Application in Health Promotion Satoko Otake*1, Sumie Ikezaki*2 and Yoshihiko Yamazaki*1 The term health literacy has been regarded a relatively new concept. In this paper, we intended to make clear the concept and its implication through a review of overseas papers about health literacy. Health literacy means literacy related to a specific context about health. Health literacy is more developed and specific skill whereas literacy means general social life skill. Early in the 1990s, the definition of health literacy was narrow, and it was regarded as patients' compliance in medical setting. Jakarta Declaration suggested that health literacy fostered effective participation and was critical to empowerment. Also it was suggested that improving health literacy would led changing the social, economical, and environmental determinants of health. It has also been focused that health literacy is increasingly vital to help people critically evaluate health and medical information. In 2000, Nutbeam suggested that improvement of health literacy was an immediate outcome of health education in health promotion. Consequently the role of health education was anew recognized significant. The measure and application of health literacy is developing, and its further study and conceptual development is expected. It is suggestive that the outcome of health education in health and medical care activity is to promote health literacy and that the concept of health literacy poses to change traditional thinking of health professionals. kj.j.h.p.e 2004;12(2):70-78 l Key words: health literacy, health education, health promotion, outcome, and criteria *1 D epartment of Health Sociology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo *2 Department of Health Sociology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo Institute for Health Economics and Policy 78