The nation's leading sources of morbidity and health disparities (eg, preterm birth, obesity, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, mental health disorders, and cancer) require an evidence-based approach to the delivery of effective preventive care across the life course (eg, prenatal care, primary preventive care, immunizations, physical activity, nutrition, smoking cessation, and early diagnostic screening). Health literacy may be a critical and modifiable factor for improving preventive care and reducing health disparities. Recent studies among adults have established an independent association between lower health literacy and poorer understanding of preventive care information and poor access to preventive care services. Children of parents with higher literacy skills are more likely to have better outcomes in child health promotion and disease prevention. Adult studies in disease prevention have suggested that addressing health literacy would be an efficacious strategy for reducing health disparities. Future initiatives to reduce child health inequities should include health-promotion strategies that meet the health literacy needs of children, adolescents, and their caregivers.
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November 2009
Supplement Articles|
November 01 2009
Health Literacy and Child Health Promotion: Implications for Research, Clinical Care, and Public Policy
Lee M. Sanders, MD, MPH;
Lee M. Sanders, MD, MPH
aDepartment of Pediatrics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
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Judith S. Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN;
Judith S. Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN
bDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont
cVermont Department of Health, Burlington, Vermont
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Ghislaine Guez, BA;
Ghislaine Guez, BA
aDepartment of Pediatrics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
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Cynthia Baur, PhD;
Cynthia Baur, PhD
dCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Marketing, Atlanta, Georgia
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Rima Rudd, ScD
Rima Rudd, ScD
eDepartment of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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Address correspondence to Lee M. Sanders, MD, MPH, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity, Department of Pediatrics, 1601 NW 12th Ave, Suite 4063, Miami, FL 33136. E-mail: leesanders@miami.edu
Pediatrics (2009) 124 (Supplement_3): S306–S314.
Article history
Accepted:
July 20 2009
Citation
Lee M. Sanders, Judith S. Shaw, Ghislaine Guez, Cynthia Baur, Rima Rudd; Health Literacy and Child Health Promotion: Implications for Research, Clinical Care, and Public Policy. Pediatrics November 2009; 124 (Supplement_3): S306–S314. 10.1542/peds.2009-1162G
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