Session Information
08 SES 07, Health Literacy: Conceptual, Empirical and Ethical Reflections
Paper Session
Contribution
As higher health literacy levels in individuals have been associated with better health outcomes and lower health care costs (Berkman et al. 2011), health literacy has received renewed attention as an operational health variable in health research, practice and policy-making. Health literacy for adolescents and children was defined by Paakkari and Paakkari (2012) as a learning outcome of health education, entailing “a broad range of knowledge and competencies that people seek to encompass, evaluate, construct and use. Through health literacy competencies, people become able to understand themselves, others and the world in a way that will enable them to make sound health decisions, and to work on and change the factors that constitute their own and others’ health chances” (ibid., p136). Considerable attention has been contributed to addressing the child’s/adolescent’s health literacy in school health promotion and education (St Leger, 2001; Ormshaw et al., 2013). As children spend several hours per day in school, Kickbusch and Maag (2008) stress the vital role of the education system in developing the general literacy and health literacy of their students, by equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to participate in decision-making processes concerning their own health. Moreover, schools can provide access to high risk populations that are difficult to reach (Rubene et al. 2015). From a health promotion perspective, it is essential to recognise children and adolescents as a target group of health literacy research and interventions: Childhood and youth are regarded as foundational life phases impacting on healthy human development, personal health and well-being throughout adulthood (e.g. UNICEF, 2013). Accordingly, it was argued that if we fail to provide the young populations with health literacy and health promoting capacities this would constitute an increased risk for the individual and society in terms of poorer health outcomes and higher costs (e.g. Borzekowski, 2009).
The development and acquisition of health literacy is increasingly recognized as a continuous process, starting in early childhood and continuing throughout the different life stages (Zarcadoolas, Pleasant & Geer, 2005). Sanders et al. (2009) call for addressing child and adolescent health literacy from a health promotion perspective with a multidisciplinary approach. A US Institute of Medicine report recommended that health literacy interventions should target four different levels, namely the individual patient care, health systems, educational systems and community systems (Nielsen-Bohlman, Panzer, & Kindig, 2004). Several open issues therefore need to be clarified in order to follow up these recommendations. The open issues refer e.g. to the construction of health literacy in childhood and adolescence or to its development and acquisition over the life course.
This study aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of health literacy in childhood and adolescence by use of a systematic review of health literacy definitions, concepts and theoretical explorations for persons aged 18 or younger, in English and German literature. The goal is to outline and analyse child/adolescent health literacy conceptualizations as reflected by the scientific literature. The study represents the first phase of the project TeCoMo that aims to develop an integrated definition and conceptual framework of health literacy, capturing the unique needs and characteristics of children and adolescents.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Berkman, N. D., Sheridan, S. L., Donahue, K. E., Halpern, D. J., Viera, A., Crotty, K., et al. (2011). Health Literacy Interventions and Outcomes: An Updated Systematic Review. Evidence Report/Technology Assesment No. 199. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Borzekowski, D. L. (2009). Considering children and health literacy: a theoretical approach. Pediatrics, 124(3), 282-S288. Brady, G., Lowe, P., & Olin Lauritzen, S. (2015). Connecting a sociology of childhood perspective with the study of child health, illness and wellbeing: introduction. Sociology of health & illness, 37(2), 173-183. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.12260. Freire P (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum/ Seabody, New York. Kickbusch, I., & Maag, D. (2008). Health Literacy. In K. Heggenhougen & S. Quah (eds.). International Encyclopedia of Public Health, Vol 3. San Diego: Academic Press; pp. 204-211. Nielsen-Bohlman, L., Panzer, A. M., & Kindig, D. A. (2004). Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion. Washington, DC: The National Academic Press. Paakkari, L., & Paakkari O., (2012). Health literacy as a learning outcome in schools. Health Education, 112(2), 133-152. Paek, H. J., Reber, B. H., & Lariscy, R. W. (2011). Roles of interpersonal and media socialization agents in adolescent self-reported health literacy: a health socialization perspective. Health education research, 26(1), 131-149. Rothman, R. L., Yin, H. S., Mulvaney, S., Homer, C. & Lannon, C. (2009). Health literacy and quality: focus on chronic illness care and patient safety. Pediatrics, 124(3), 315-S326. Rubene, Z., & Goba, L. (2015, May). Health Literate Child: Transforming Teaching in School Health Education. In SOCIETY, INTEGRATION, EDUCATION. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference, 1, 331-340. Sanders, L. M., Shaw, J. S., Guez, G., Baur, C., & Rudd, R. (2009). Health literacy and child health promotion: implications for research, clinical care, and public policy. Pediatrics, 124(3), 306-S314. Schön, DA. (1987). Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Street, B. V. (2006). Autonomous and ideological models of literacy: Approaches from New Literacy Studies. Media Anthropology Network, 17. St Leger, L. (2001). Schools, health literacy and public health: possibilities and challenges. Health promotion international, 16(2), 197-205. UNICEF (2013). Early Childhood Development: The key to a full and productive life. New York: UNICEF. Accessed on 15/01/2016 from http://www.unicef.org/dprk/ecd.pdf
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