Stigma and health literacy: an agenda for advancing research and practice.

Objectives: To propose a framework addressing various factors contributing to stigma associated with low health literacy, how stigma is manifested, and how it may contribute to adverse health consequences.

Method: The framework incorporated concepts found in existing empirical research on stigmatized health conditions with an emphasis on concealable conditions such as mental health, HIV status, and some chronic illnesses.

Results: Pursuing the proposed research agenda would provide a better understanding of the various factors contributing to stigma associated with low health literacy, how that stigma is manifested, and how it may contribute to adverse health consequences.

Conclusion: The goal of proposing a wide-ranging research agenda is to encourage research that will inform the development of a comprehensive framework that addresses factors that influence stigma associated with health literacy from multiple levels: micro, meso, and macro.