Abstracts Division 3
63. Methods to assess adults’ learning styles and factors affecting learning in health education: a scoping review
Anouk J.L. Muijsenberg1, Sarah Houben-Wilke1, Yuqin Zeng1, Martijn A. Spruit1,2, Daisy J.A. Janssen1,3
1Department of Research and Development, Ciro, Horn, the Netherlands
2Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
3Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Objectives
To develop learner-centered education, knowledge about learning styles and factors that affect the ability to learn in patients and their significant others are essential. This scoping review will explore: 1) methods to assess learning styles in adult patients and their significant others; 2) factors affecting learning in adult patients and their significant others who receive health education.
Methods
Systematic literature searches were performed in ERIC, PubMed, Web of Science and PsycINFO. Articles were included if: 1) participants were 18 years or older; 2) participants were patients or significant others; 3) assessment of learning style was performed and/or factors affecting learning were indicated; and 4) health education was the context.
Results
45 articles were included. Learning style assessment by patients can generally be performed with multiple choice questions, qualitative methods and a validated questionnaire. Health literacy was the most reported factor affecting learning, followed by anxiety and illness condition.
Conclusions
Prior to development of learner-centered health education, patients and their significant others should be included in learning style assessment. Future research should investigate factors affecting learning in significant others.
Practice implications
The process of learning is complex, and it is a shared responsibility of both the learner and the educator.
NUTRIM | School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism
NUTRIM aims to contribute to health maintenance and personalised medicine by unraveling lifestyle and disease-induced derangements in metabolism and by developing targeted nutritional, exercise and drug interventions. This is facilitated by a state of the art research infrastructure and close interaction between scientists, clinicians, master and PhD students.
www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/nutrim