Health Literacy in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies

Abstract

Early childhood plays a key role in the formation of healthy habits and the establishment of health literacy. Nonetheless, there are only a few research studies focusing on the health literacy level of children under the age of eight. The aim of our systematic review is to explore empirical research on health literacy related to early childhood. The research was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA protocol. This systematic review examines 12 studies published between 2013–2022. Results show that research focuses on different domains of health literacy for children. In relation to children’s food literacy, children understand the relationship between health and nutrition and they realize the health impact of obesity. The habits connected to oral health are strongly associated with parents’ knowledge of and behaviours around oral health. Results related to health care situations show that children are able to be actively involved in decision-making processes in connection with their health. Exploring young children’s health literacy is essential in order to be able to plan health promotion interventions, embedded into early childhood education. Picture-based messages or story-based messages supported by illustrations can help measure health literacy in early childhood and can support the formation of health literacy.

Health literacy among children living with a long-term condition: ‘What I know and who I tell’

“…There is a growing body of literature exploring the role of health literacy in improving children and young people's health behaviours and outcomes (Bánfai-Csonka et al, 2022;Bröder et al, 2017Bröder et al, , 2019Guo et al, 2018;Riemann et al, 2021;Velardo and Drummond, 2017). Recent research has highlighted how good health literacy can empower children to understand their world and daily life to make informed and positive health decisions (Bánfai-Csonka et al, 2022;Bröder et al, 2017).…”

“…There is a growing body of literature exploring the role of health literacy in improving children and young people's health behaviours and outcomes (Bánfai-Csonka et al, 2022;Bröder et al, 2017Bröder et al, , 2019Guo et al, 2018;Riemann et al, 2021;Velardo and Drummond, 2017). Recent research has highlighted how good health literacy can empower children to understand their world and daily life to make informed and positive health decisions (Bánfai-Csonka et al, 2022;Bröder et al, 2017). Despite this initial work, there is a lack of clear definition concerning child-specific health literacy (Paakkari and Paakkari, 2012), and many studies fail to engage with the voice and experience of the child in addressing health literacy for this population sub-group (Bánfai-Csonka et al, 2022).…”

“…The progressive broadening of discourse around health literacy, prompted by the work of Nutbeam (2000) as detailed above, suggests that children have the capacity to develop, apply and share the knowledge of their condition within their family and within education, health and social arenas. While the specific challenges of working with younger children to develop health literacy remains to be explored, Bánfai-Csonka et al (2022) and Nash et al (2018Nash et al ( , 2019Nash et al ( , 2020Nash et al ( , 2021 highlight how children exposed to early health literacy interventions can become more active in healthcare decision-making (Bánfai Csonka et al, 2022) and signals the importance of developing health literacy initiatives for children (Nash et al, 2021). This work suggests that developing health literacy early in one's life course can lead to improved health behaviours and outcomes in later life.…”

“…Recent research has highlighted how good health literacy can empower children to understand their world and daily life to make informed and positive health decisions (Bánfai-Csonka et al, 2022; Bröder et al, 2017). Despite this initial work, there is a lack of clear definition concerning child-specific health literacy (Paakkari and Paakkari, 2012), and many studies fail to engage with the voice and experience of the child in addressing health literacy for this population sub-group (Bánfai-Csonka et al, 2022). A widely acknowledged definition of child health literacy by Paakkari and Paakkari (2012), however, is that it is ‘a broad range of knowledge and competencies that seek to encompass, evaluate, construct and use .…”

Relación entre aprendizaje y hábitos saludables en Educación Infantil (Relationship between learning and healthy habits in Early Childhood Education)

“…Por otro lado, la alfabetización en la infancia, en relación a la salud, se posiciona como un aspecto elemental ya que contribuye, además de a la adherencia a hábitos saludables, al desarrollo cognitivo, emocional y físico (Bröder et al, 2017). Esta cuestión es aún un aspecto poco profundizado en niños de edades tempranas (Bánfai-Csonka et al, 2022), por lo que es necesario seguir investigando sobre ello.…”