Parent Health Literacy, Depression, and Risk for Pediatric Injury

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Health Literacy Research
• Public Health

Background:

• Limited population-wide research exists on the impact of parental health literacy on children's health.
• Parental health literacy is a critical, yet understudied, determinant of pediatric health outcomes.
• This study addresses the gap by examining the association between low parental health literacy and various pediatric health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between low parental health literacy and a spectrum of pediatric health risks.
• To identify specific health risks in children associated with parents having limited health literacy.
• To inform the development of targeted interventions for vulnerable families.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 17,845 parents of children aged 7 years or younger was analyzed.
• A 3-item screener assessed parental health literacy.
• Multivariable logistic regression identified associations between low literacy and outcomes like secondhand smoke exposure, asthma nonadherence, parent depression, injury prevention, and first-aid knowledge.

Main Results:

• 36.5% of parents demonstrated low health literacy.
• Low parental health literacy was significantly associated with increased risks of parent depression (AOR 1.32), firearm access (AOR 1.68), lack of working smoke detectors (AOR 3.54), and poor first-aid knowledge for choking (AOR 1.67) and burns (AOR 1.45).
• Children of parents with low health literacy were more likely to exceed 2 hours of daily television viewing (AOR 1.27).

Conclusions:

• Low parental health literacy is an independent risk factor for adverse pediatric outcomes, including parent depression and unsafe home environments.
• Findings highlight the need for low-literacy approaches in health-behavior interventions to mitigate common childhood morbidities.
• Addressing parental health literacy is essential for improving child health and safety.