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Exploring Associated Factors of Subjective Health Literacy in School-Aged Children

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  • Alexandra Fretian

    (School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
    Centre for Prevention and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence (CPI), Faculty of Educational Science, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany)

  • Torsten Michael Bollweg

    (Centre for Prevention and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence (CPI), Faculty of Educational Science, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany)

  • Orkan Okan

    (Centre for Prevention and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence (CPI), Faculty of Educational Science, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany)

  • Paulo Pinheiro

    (Centre for Prevention and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence (CPI), Faculty of Educational Science, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany)

  • Ullrich Bauer

    (Centre for Prevention and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence (CPI), Faculty of Educational Science, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany)

Abstract

Low health literacy is considered to lead to worse health-related outcomes and behaviors and has therefore been recognized as a social determinant of health. While health literacy and its potential determinants have been studied in adults, little research has been conducted with children. This study aims to address this research gap by investigating factors associated with children’s subjective health literacy. Cross-sectional data was collected from fourth graders at German schools with a self-report questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics, health-related attitudes, and motivation were analyzed. We used hierarchical multivariate linear regression to explain variance in the dependent variable “subjective health literacy”. A total of n = 907 fourth graders were surveyed. Regarding health literacy, eight out of ten participants (82.2%) reported that it was “rather easy” or “very easy” to deal with health-related information. Family affluence, but not language spoken at home, was significantly related to subjective health literacy, after controlling for confounding. Moreover, parental health orientation, self-efficacy, and motivation are factors significantly associated with health literacy. Based on the results of this study, it is hypothesized that a general motivation to learn new things about health, as well as an environment promoting health-positive behavior, might foster children’s health literacy.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandra Fretian & Torsten Michael Bollweg & Orkan Okan & Paulo Pinheiro & Ullrich Bauer, 2020. "Exploring Associated Factors of Subjective Health Literacy in School-Aged Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:5:p:1720-:d:329101
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Torbjørn Torsheim & Franco Cavallo & Kate Ann Levin & Christina Schnohr & Joanna Mazur & Birgit Niclasen & Candace Currie, 2016. "Psychometric Validation of the Revised Family Affluence Scale: a Latent Variable Approach," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 9(3), pages 771-784, September.
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    1. Anne-Kathrin M. Loer & Olga M. Domanska & Christiane Stock & Susanne Jordan, 2020. "Subjective Generic Health Literacy and Its Associated Factors among Adolescents: Results of a Population-Based Online Survey in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-23, November.
    2. Tetine Sentell & Sandra Vamos & Orkan Okan, 2020. "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Health Literacy Research Around the World: More Important Than Ever in a Time of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-13, April.
    3. Veronica Velasco & Andrea Gragnano & Gruppo Regionale HBSC Lombardia 2018 & Luca Piero Vecchio, 2021. "Health Literacy Levels among Italian Students: Monitoring and Promotion at School," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-13, September.
    4. Shuaijun Guo & Xiaoming Yu & Orkan Okan, 2020. "Moving Health Literacy Research and Practice towards a Vision of Equity, Precision and Transparency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-14, October.
    5. Leena Paakkari & Minna Torppa & Joanna Mazur & Zuzana Boberova & Gorden Sudeck & Michal Kalman & Olli Paakkari, 2020. "A Comparative Study on Adolescents’ Health Literacy in Europe: Findings from the HBSC Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-12, May.
    6. Berens, Eva-Maria & Klinger, Julia & Carol, Sarah & Schaeffer, Doris, 2022. "Differences in health literacy domains among migrants and their descendants in Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 10, pages 1-14.
    7. Hannah R. Goss & Craig Smith & Laura Hickey & Johann Issartel & Janis Morrissey & Celine Murrin & Ailbhe Spillane & Sarahjane Belton, 2022. "Using Co-Design to Develop a Health Literacy Intervention with Socially Disadvantaged Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-16, April.
    8. Elke Knisel & Helge Rupprich & Annika Wunram & Markus Bremer & Christiane Desaive, 2020. "Promotion of Elementary School Students’ Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Anthony Faiola & Maged N. Kamel Boulos & Salman Bin Naeem & Aziz ur-Rehman, 2022. "Integrating Social and Family Support as a Measure of Health Outcomes: Validity Implications from the Integrated Model of Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Sandra Kirchhoff & Kevin Dadaczynski & Jürgen M. Pelikan & Inge Zelinka-Roitner & Christina Dietscher & Uwe H. Bittlingmayer & Orkan Okan, 2022. "Organizational Health Literacy in Schools: Concept Development for Health-Literate Schools," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-12, July.

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