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Subjective Health Literacy among School-Aged Children: First Evidence from Lithuania.

ABSTRACT: Health literacy as a set of competencies to promote and sustain health has received significant research attention, particularly in studies on adults. Improving health literacy at an early age is crucial to personal health and development, so there is a need to investigate the health literacy of school-aged children. The aims of this study were to determine the level of subjective health literacy among adolescents in Lithuania and to examine the association between health literacy, school achievement, health education in schools, and family affluence. Health literacy was assessed using a brief Health Literacy for School-Aged Children instrument on a representative sample of 2369 subjects (from the 7th to 10th grades). Overall, 12.1% of all respondents had low, 70.5% moderate, and 17.4% a high level of health literacy. School achievements were found to be a significant predictor of health literacy, as were the number of school-based health promotion events. Family affluence also predicted an increased level of health literacy. This study was the first nationally representative examination of this topic in Lithuania and it highlighted the alarming finding that less than one-fifth of adolescents had high health literacy.

SUBMITTER: Sukys S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6765916 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Subjective Health Literacy among School-Aged Children: First Evidence from Lithuania.

Sukys Saulius S Trinkuniene Laima L Tilindiene Ilona I

International journal of environmental research and public health 20190913 18

Health literacy as a set of competencies to promote and sustain health has received significant research attention, particularly in studies on adults. Improving health literacy at an early age is crucial to personal health and development, so there is a need to investigate the health literacy of school-aged children. The aims of this study were to determine the level of subjective health literacy among adolescents in Lithuania and to examine the association between health literacy, school achiev ...[more]

PMID: 31540214

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Project description:This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between psychosocial school factors and life satisfaction, symptoms of depression and psychosomatic health complaints among first grade secondary school students in Serbia. We analysed data from the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in the Republic of Serbia. Analyzed psychosocial school factors included satisfaction with school, schoolwork pressure, teacher support, classmate support and being bullied at school. Life satisfaction was assessed by the 11-step Cantril's ladder (cutoff >5). Symptoms of depression were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10) and psychosomatic health complaints by using the HBSC symptom checklist. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression was used to determine independent predictors of students' life satisfaction, symptoms of depression and psychosomatic health complaints in the school environment, while also considering their socio-demographic characteristics and perceived family and friend support. The study included 1605 students (average age 15.26 ±0.44 years), of whom 50.3% were females. Results from the binary logistic regression analyses showed that life satisfaction was positively related to school satisfaction and classmate support, and negatively to being bullied at school. Symptoms of depression were positively associated with schoolwork pressure and being bullied at school, and negatively with teacher and classmate support. All analyzed factors of the school environment were significantly related to psychosomatic health complaints, whereby schoolwork pressure and being bullied at school were positively associated, while teacher and classmate support and satisfaction with school were negatively associated. Given the established association of psychosocial school factors with mental health, there is a need for targeted measures both at school and community level with the aim of improving social support in the school environment, reducing schoolwork burden and preventing bullying at school, potentially resulting in the overall improvement of mental health of the first grade secondary school students.

Project description:BackgroundMeasuring and understanding the level of health literacy serves as a starting point for developing various policies in health care. The consequences of weak health literacy competencies are severe; they result in riskier health behaviour, poorer health status, more frequent emergency visits and hospitalizations. This research has three aims: i) measure the level of health literacy in the populations of Latvia and Lithuania; ii) investigate which demographic and socioeconomic determinants are associated with it; and iii) discuss the means of improving its current level.MethodsWe employ a validated survey tool, the 47-item European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q). In addition to the 47 questions in the domains of health care, disease prevention, and health promotion, the participants' demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are assessed. Face-to-face paper-assisted surveys are conducted with randomly selected residents from Latvia and Lithuania. The level of health literacy is measured by the health literacy index. Spearman correlation analyses and multiple regressions models are employed for investigating the association between the health literacy level and its determinants. The survey tool is complemented with in-depth interviews with six healthcare industry experts in order to assess the most promising ways to improve the level of health literacy.ResultsThe stratified random sampling with quota elements assured a representative sample in terms of gender, urban/rural distribution and regions. In Latvia, 79% of the population possesses weak health literacy competencies. In Lithuania, 73% of the population can be characterized with inadequate or problematic level of health literacy. The most important determinants of the health literacy level include age, financial situation, social status, and ethnicity. In particular, elderly (aged 76 and over) and the Latvian-speaking population are less health literate, while those having better financial situation and higher social status are more health literate. The three most promising ways to improve the level of health literacy, as suggested by the healthcare industry experts, include health education in schools, provision of structured health-related information in Latvian and Lithuanian, and guidelines for the most common health problems.ConclusionsThe proportion of population with inadequate or problematic level of health literacy is higher in Latvia and Lithuania than in several other European countries. There is an urgent need to develop policies to improve it.

Dataset Information

Subjective Health Literacy among School-Aged Children: First Evidence from Lithuania.

Publications

Subjective Health Literacy among School-Aged Children: First Evidence from Lithuania.

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