Literacy and Child Health

Abstract

To assess the prevalence of low health literacy among adolescents, young adults, and child caregivers in the United States, the readability of common child-health information, and the relationship between literacy and child health.

Parent Health Literacy, Depression, and Risk for Pediatric Injury

“…Our findings are largely consistent with previous studies showing associations of low parent health literacy with pediatric 9,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]32 and adult 3 health outcomes. Similar to a clinic-based study by Heerman et al, 12 parents with low health literacy in our sample were less likely than parents with adequate health literacy to adhere to certain injury prevention practices, such as having their hot water heaters set to <120°F or ensuring the home had a working smoke detector.…”

Assessment of the Readability of Web-Based Patient Education Material From Major Canadian Pediatric Associations: Cross-sectional Study

“…Although these resources are readily available with internet access, they are not always functionally accessible to all caregivers and patients. Pediatric PEMs have consistently been shown globally to be written at higher reading levels than recommended for a public audience, which is consistent with this study’s findings [ 9 , 15 - 20 ].…”

Health Literacy in Adolescents and Young Adults: An Updated Review

“…Although most studies reported adequate health literacy in more than 60% of AYAs, estimates ranged between 52% and 99%. This finding is consistent with Sanders et al's earlier estimate that one in three AYAs had poor health literacy, 7 but is more optimistic than previously published data reporting that 30–60% of AYAs showed suboptimal health literacy. 5,7 This observation should be considered as tentative, considering the comparatively small, selected samples reviewed here.…”

“…This finding is consistent with Sanders et al's earlier estimate that one in three AYAs had poor health literacy, 7 but is more optimistic than previously published data reporting that 30–60% of AYAs showed suboptimal health literacy. 5,7 This observation should be considered as tentative, considering the comparatively small, selected samples reviewed here. This review also found relatively low levels of functional health literacy, despite adequate overall health literacy.…”