Bilingual Public Health Glossary

A reference of commonly used public health terms in both English and Spanish
8/14/2012 Health Education Administration

A Program of the Quality Improvement Division

About this Guide

Our Role in Addressing Language Barriers
As public health employees, we ask our diverse audiences to choose a healthy lifestyle, use preventive services, and seek medical care. To follow our recommendations, they must be able to understand and use health information. The ability to obtain, process, and understand health information needed to make informed health decisions is known as health literacy. In the U.S., 36% of adults have basic or below basic health literacy levels. 1 Persons with limited health literacy are more likely to Report having poor health Have chronic conditions that they dont understand and cant manage Skip important preventive measures such as mammograms, pap smears, and flu shots Use emergency services or be hospitalized Enter the healthcare system when theyre sicker Feel a sense of shame about their skill level 2 In LA County, the problem extends beyond health literacy to literacy itself. 53% of LA Countys adults have low literacy levels, making it difficult for them to read, write, speak, calculate, and solve problems. Low literacy is impacted by many factors, including a persons level of English proficiency. As a result, immigrants are often counted as part of the low-literacy population because they are literate in their native language, but have not yet become fluent in English. 3 According to the latest Census data, nearly 36% of LA Countys population is foreign born and 56% of residents speak a language other than English at home. 4 These data help explain LA Countys low literacy rates and also describe one of the greatest challenges we face when providing quality care and services. Federal law mandates that recipients of federal funding, such as the LA County Department of Public Health (DPH), must not discriminate against people based on race, color, or national origin. 5 Federal courts and agencies have interpreted discrimination by national origin to include language. 6 To be in compliance with federal law, DPH must provide language assistance to people that do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, write, speak or understand English at a level that allows them to effectively interact with health agencies and providers (Limited English Proficiency, LEP). 7, 8 Providing adequate language assistance requires: 1. Assuring clients know that a qualified interpreter is available for free 2. Assuring documents that are used regularly or affect a clients legal rights or obligations (vital documents) are translated for each LEP language that makes up 5% or 1,000, people (whichever is less) Health Education Administration developed this guide to provide a tool for standardizing Spanish translations of DPH communications. If youre looking for more translation or interpretation-related resources, please visit our website: http://ph.lacounty.gov/hea/Translation.htm.

A
accuracy action plan Acute Communicable Disease Control Program adolescence advocacy for health advocacy group African American/Black aging alert alert level anonymous appointment approach Asian assess Audit and Investigation Division awareness exactitud plan de accin Programa de Control de Enfermedades Graves Transmisibles adolescencia abogaca por la salud grupo de defensa Afroamericano (estadounidense de origen africano, negro, de color) envejecimiento alerta nivel de alerta annimo cita manera, forma, acercamiento
Asitico

evaluar Divisin de Auditoria e Investigacin conciencia, conocimiento

B
Board of Supervisors Junta de Supervisores carga de la enfermedad

burden of disease

C
case study Caucasian/White certification checklist Chief Deputy Director childhood caso de estudio Caucsico/Blanco
certificacin

lista, lista de verificacin Subdirector infancia, niez

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program Childrens Medical Services client chronic diseases collaboration communicable diseases community community action for health community based organization community clinic community development community engagement community health community health investigation community health worker community organization community outreach community participation conference confidential consent form contact core functions of public health cost customer customer service

Programa de Prevencin del Envenenamiento por Plomo en la Niez Servicios Mdicos para los Nios cliente enfermedades crnicas colaboracin enfermedades transmisibles comunidad accin comunitaria para la salud organizacin basada en la comunidad clnica comunitaria desarrollo de la comunidad compromiso con la comunidad comunidad saludable, salud comunitaria, salud de la comunidad investigacin de salud de la comunidad promotor (a) de salud organizacin comunitaria acercamiento con la comunidad participacin comunitaria conferencia confidencial formulario de consentimiento contacto funciones esenciales de Salud Pblica costo, precio cliente servicio al cliente

D
data analysis
data collection declaration of emergency Department of Public Health determinants of health Director of Public Health & Health Officer disaster area disaster management disease disease prevention disease registry disinfection anlisis de datos coleccin de datos declaracin de emergencia Departamento de Salud Pblica determinantes de la salud Director y Funcionario de Salud Pblica zona de desastre administracin de desastres enfermedad prevencin de la enfermedad registro de enfermedades desinfeccin

E
educational materials effective efficacy elementary school email emergency and disaster preparedness emergency plan emergency response emergency response team emergency room emergency supply kit empowerment environmental environmental contamination environmental health materiales educativos efectivo eficiencia, efectividad, eficacia escuela primaria correo electrnico preparacin ante emergencias y desastres plan de emergencia respuesta de emergencia equipo de respuesta para emergencia sala de emergencia equipo de suministros de emergencia, botiqun de emergencia empoderamiento ambiental, el medio ambiente contaminacin ambiental, contaminacin del medio ambiente salud ambiental, salud del medio ambiente

epidemic epidemiological surveillance epidemiology equity in health evidence-based

epidemia vigilancia epidemiolgica epidemiologa igualdad en la salud basada en la evidencia

F
faith-based organization fees focus follow-up food handling free services frequency organizacin basada en la fe cobros, cuotas, cargos enfoque seguimiento manejo adecuado de los alimentos, manipulacin de comida servicios gratuitos frecuencia, repeticin

G
Geographic Information System (GIS) germ guidance guidelines sistema de informacin geogrfico germen, microbio direccin, gua, orientacin instrucciones, reglamentos

H
harm reduction health health assessment health behavior healthcare provider health center health communication health department health disparities reduccin de daos salud evaluacin de salud conducta de salud, comportamiento de salud proveedor de atencin mdica, proveedor de servicios mdicos centro de salud comunicacin de la salud departamento de salud desigualdades de la salud

health education Health Education Administration health educator health expectancy health fair health for all health gain health goal health hazard health indicator health insurance health interventions health investigation health literacy health needs health outcomes health outcomes study health policy health promotion health promotion outcomes health risk health status health surveillance health survey healthy cities healthy living high risk high school Hispanic/Latino

educacin de salud, educacin para la salud Administracin de Educacin de la Salud educador (a) de salud expectativa de salud feria de salud salud para todos beneficio de salud meta de salud peligro para la salud, dao para la salud indicador de salud, sealador de salud seguro de salud, seguro mdico intervenciones de la salud investigacin de salud alfabetizacin en salud necesidades de salud resultados de salud estudio de resultados de la salud leyes de salud, poltica de salud, regla de salud promocin de la salud resultados de la promocin de la salud riesgo a la salud estado de salud vigilancia de salud encuesta de salud ciudades saludables vida saludable alto riesgo escuela preparatoria Hispano/Latino

home visit hot line

visita a casa lnea telefnica

I
immunization clinic infection infectious disease informed consent injury inspection interview investment for health isolation clnica de vacunas infeccin enfermedad infecciosa consentimiento informado lesin, herida inspeccin, revisin
entrevista

inversin para la salud aislamiento

J K
key indicators of health knowledge
indicadores clave de la salud conocimiento

L
level life expectancy life skills life style likelihood living conditions Los Angeles County Los Angeles County Department of Public Health nivel expectativa de vida, esperanza de vida habilidades para la vida estilo de vida probabilidad, posibilidad condiciones de vida El Condado de los ngeles Departamento de Salud Pblica del Condado de Los ngeles de bajo costo, barato

low-cost

M
management mass media media campaign middle school mission monitoring morbidity mortality multiple risk administracin, manejo medios de comunicacin campaa publicitaria escuela secundaria misin vigilancia morbilidad, gravedad mortalidad, muertes riesgo mltiple

N
Native American needs no cost no apparent public health hazard no public health hazard nutrition Nativo Americano necesidades sin costo, gratis, gratuito ningn peligro claro para la salud pblica ningn peligro para la salud pblica nutricin, alimentacin

O
outbreak outcome outreach over-the counter epidemia, brote resultado acercamiento sin receta mdica

P
Pacific Islander partner notification partnership partnership for health promotion person-to-person transmission
Isleo del Pacfico notificacin a la pareja colaboracin, cooperacin, asociacin, participacin

colaboracin para la promocin de la salud transmisin de la enfermedad de persona a persona, epidemia por contagio

physical activity population population at risk press release prevalence prevention preventable diseases preventive measures preventive services primary care primary prevention probability promote prophylaxis protect proof public health public health action public health alert public health assessment public health hazard public health issues public health nurse public health programs public health statement

actividad fsica poblacin poblacin en riesgo comunicado de prensa frecuencia, prevalencia prevencin enfermedades evitables, enfermedades prevenibles medidas preventivas servicios de prevencin, servicios preventivos cuidado primario prevencin primaria probabilidad, posibilidad, chance promover profilaxis, tratamiento preventivo proteger prueba, comprobante, confirmacin salud pblica accin de salud pblica alerta de salud pblica evaluacin de salud pblica peligro para la salud pblica cuestiones de salud pblica enfermero (a) de salud pblica programas de salud pblica comunicado de salud pblica

Q
quality quality of care quality of life calidad calidad de atencin calidad de vida

quarantine questionnaire

cuarentena cuestionario

R
range rate readiness recall recommendations requirement research study resources risk risk behavior risk communication risk factor risk level risk reduction poner en orden, clasificar tasa preparacin retiro, anulacin recomendaciones, sugerencias requisito, condicin estudio de investigacin recursos riesgo conducta de riesgo, comportamiento de riesgo comunicacin de riesgo factor de riesgo nivel de riesgo reduccin de riesgo

S
safety sample size schedule secondary care secondary prevention self help seniors service planning areas (SPA) sexual transmitted disease significant health risk site investigation seguridad tamao de muestra horario cuidado secundario prevencin secundaria autoayuda ancianos, personas de la tercera edad areas de servicio de planificacin enfermedades transmitidas sexualmente peligro significativo para la salud lugar de investigacin

sliding scale social environment social networks social responsibility for health social support speaker spectrum staff statistics STD clinic strategies strategic plan supportive environments for health surveillance surveillance system survey symptoms

escala, escala mvil ambiente social, medio social, entorno social redes sociales responsabilidad social para la salud apoyo social orador, altavoz espectro, visin, diseminacin personal, empleados estadsticas clnica de enfermedades de transmisin sexual estrategias plan estratgico ambientes que apoyan la salud vigilancia sistema de vigilancia encuesta sntomas

T
TB clinic tertiary care tertiary prevention testing toolkit training transmission treatment trend triage clinic clnica de tuberculosis cuidado terciario prevencin terciaria prueba juego de herramientas, conjunto de herramientas entrenamiento, capacitacin transmisin, traspaso tratamiento, terapia tendencia, inclinacin clnica de seleccin y clasificacin de pacientes, clnica de atencin y seleccin de pacientes, clnica de la clasificacin de prioridad de la atencin de pacientes

triggers

provocadores, causantes

U
unmotivated sin motivacin, no estar motivado, sin ganas

V
vaccinate vaccination vector control vector-borne diseases vital statistics vacunar vacunacin control de vectores enfermedades transmitidas por vectores estadsticas importantes

W
water-borne disease water pollution water quality web page website well-being wellness workforce enfermedad transmitida por el agua contaminacin del agua calidad del agua pgina web sitio web, sitio en el internet, sitio en la red bienestar de buena salud, en buen estado fuerza de trabajo, fuerza laboral, trabajadores

X Y
youth
joven, juventud

References
The Sources Used Throughout this Document
1

National Center for Education Statistics (2006). The Health Literacy of America's Adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006483.pdf 2 United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Quick Guide to Health Literacy Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/6mktefz. 3 United Way of Greater Los Angeles (2004). Literacy @ Work: The LA Workforce Literacy Project. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/7lpjhw3. 4 The United States Census Bureau. (2012). State & County QuickFacts: Los Angeles County, California . Retrieved April 9, 2012, from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06037.html 5 The United States Department of Justice. (2011). Overview of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/cor/coord/titlevi.php 6 Le, A.H. (2011). Language Access in Health Care Settings [PowerPoint slides]. PALS for Health, SSG Los Angeles, California. 7 The United States Department of Justice. Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons. 67 Federal Register 117 (18 June 2002), pp. 41455-41472. Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://www.justice.gov/crt/lep/guidance/final_guidance_2002.pdf 8 The United States Department of Health and Human Services. Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons. 68 Federal Register 153 (8 August 2003), pp. 47311-47323. Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/cor/lep/hhsrevisedlepguidance.pdf