The Role of Parents and Health Literacy in Healthy Child Follow-up

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Healthy child follow-up is mostly carried out by family physicians working in primary care and their parents.The aim of our study is to draw attention to the responsibilities of families in healthy child follow-up, to raise awareness and to determine their relationship with health literacy situations. METHODS: The study was planned as an observational and cross-sectional survey.It was carried out on parents with children between the ages of 0-5 years followed up in a family health center in Ankara.648 families were invited to study.We developed a structured questionnaire and used Turkey Health Literacy Scale(TSOY-32) in order to measure the parents' health literacy.After obtaining the necessary permissions, the questionnaire was filled through the face-to-face questionnaire application method. RESULTS: 269 families agreed to participate in the study.The median score of total TSOY-32 was calculated as 32.3 and it was included in the 'limited-problematic' health literacy group.It was determined that the TSOY-32 scores were significantly higher in high education and good income levels and among working parents.It was determined that the parents who 'regularly make their children's follow-ups by themselves' have higher health literacy total and component scores than the parents who 'follow-up by their doctor's calling'. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Health literacy knowledge level scores of the families were lower than expected.Health literacy is an important factor in raising awareness of health-related responsibilities for building a healthy society.This study has made awareness among families in terms of what to do about child follow-up,and contributed to the literature on a more careful,healthy and conscious follow-up on the identified issues.

Keywords

• child health
• health literacy
• parents
• family medicine
• primary health care