Evaluating the Influence of Information Literacy Instruction on Health Information-Seeking Behavior in African American Communities: Preliminary Results of a Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

Objectives: This report aims to share knowledge gained from a qualitative evidence synthesis and is the first deliverable of an IMLS-funded planning project focused on training library workers to develop information literacy interventions for African American individuals and communities.

Project objectives are to:
- Identify how health literacy interventions influence information-seeking behaviors amongst African Americans by observing differences and similarities in trends and themes reported across existing studies.
- Evaluate health literacy instruction/education as an infodemic intervention that strengthens the resilience of individuals and communities to infodemics

Methods: This research study uses a qualitative method of data collection and analysis. The data collection process included scoping searches to determine the type and richness of available qualitative evidence before selecting the methodology and methods. We followed a Cochrane-established methodology for executing qualitative evidence synthesis--specifically, executing a full convergent mixed-methods review where trials and qualitative evidence are synthesized separately, creating opportunities for them to ‘speak’ to each other during development, and then integrated within a third synthesis.

Results:

Conclusions: