The roles of health literacy in parents’ honey use and the use of complementary alternative medicine in a Turkish population

Abstract

Background As a biologically based therapy, honey is used by parents in many parts of the world as a home remedy for their children. While information exists regarding the traditional use of honey for health issues in children, data regarding its relationship with health literacy is lacking. The aims of this study were to determine the use of honey to address children’s health issues among parents of children aged 0–72 months and to explore the relationship between the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and health literacy. Methods The data for this descriptive, cross-sectional study were collected between October and November 2022 via an online survey of 907 parents of children aged 0–72 months. A sociodemographic data collection form, the Holistic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (HCAMQ), and the Turkey Health Literacy Scale-32 (THLS-32) were used to collect the data. A t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. Results The majority (86.5%) of the parents used honey for their children’s health problems. Among the parents, 83.1% utilized honey as a remedy for alleviating cough symptoms, 10.4% employed it as a treatment for diarrhea, and 14% administered it for the management of oral mucositis. The mean THLS-32 and HCAMQ scores of the parents were 29.39 and 21.31, respectively, and there was a moderate correlation between the parents’ THLS-32 and HCAMQ mean scores (r = 0.662, p < 0.001). Conclusion This study revealed that a significant proportion of parents who used honey to alleviate their children’s health issues displayed positive attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) while concurrently exhibiting insufficient or limited health literacy levels. Therefore, it is advisable to enhance health literacy regarding the proper and safe utilization of honey, which functions as a biologically based CAM therapy.

Association between Paediatric Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use and Parental Health Literacy, Child Health, and Socio-Economic Variables: A Prospective Study

“…However, there are limited studies exploring the association between parental health literacy and the use of CAM for their children. One study reported that the use of honey as CAM for children aged under one year has been associated with low parental health literacy [ 20 ]. Previous research has shown that there is an association between low parental health literacy and poor health outcomes for children with chronic illnesses [ 45 ], and between low health literacy and parental medication errors [ 46 , 47 ].…”

“…Health literacy is defined by experts as the extent to which people can obtain, process, and understand basic health information in order to make appropriate health decisions [ 16 ]. There is increasing evidence to suggest that poor parental health literacy can have negative effects on the health outcomes of children, especially regarding vaccinations, lifestyle, and medication administration [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. The association between parental health literacy and paediatric CAM use is not widely studied.…”

“…The association between parental health literacy and paediatric CAM use is not widely studied. One study conducted in Turkey, for example, reported that a high proportion of parents who used honey for their children under one year old as a form of CAM exhibited poor health literacy [ 20 ].…”