Health literacy is an emerging concept linking health and literacy and is defined in many ways. Health literacy is the ability to access, understand, appraise, and communicate information to engage with the demands of health contexts to promote health across the life-course (BC Health Literacy Research Group, working document). The Institutes of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (2004) defines it as, “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” According to Gillis (2005), health literacy is not just about the individual processing information but also about how health providers relay the information. The most current concept links health and learning in active roles: “Health literacy is a new concept that links our level of literacy with our ability to act upon health information and, ultimately, take control of our health. It builds upon the idea that both health and literacy are critical resources for everyday living. Addressing health literacy means breaking down the barriers to health that low literacy creates and finding ways to enable all people to:

• Access the services and supports they need
• Understand and use information to promote their health and prevent disease
• Make informed health decisions about self-care and treatment of illness
• Advocate for their own health, as well as that of their family and community
• Gain greater control over their health and well-being.” (Gillis, 2005).

Health promotion refers to “the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health.” (http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/)

Health services “particularly those designed to maintain and promote health, prevent disease, and restore health” are among the determinants of population health identified by Health Canada (2004).

Healthy communities are ones in which all sectors of the community work together to develop a healthy community. They ensure access and participation of all members including those who face barriers. A healthy community process involves wide community participation involving all community sectors, healthy public policies, and the involvement of municipal government (Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition, 2003).

Population health “is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of the entire population and to reduce health inequities among population groups. The population health approach recognizes that health is a capacity or resource rather than a state, a definition which corresponds more to the notion of being able to pursue one's goals, to acquire skills and education, and to grow. This broader notion of health recognizes the range of social, economic and physical environmental factors that contribute to health.” (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2002b)

Primary health care “refers to an approach to health and a spectrum of services beyond the traditional health care system. It includes all services that play a part in health, such as income, housing, education, and environment. Primary care is the element within primary health care that focuses on health care services, including health promotion, illness and injury prevention, and the diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury.” (Health Canada, 2004)