Health literacy and oral health: the role of schoolteachers as health promoters

Abstract

The recognition of literacy’s relevance led the UN to declare in 2002 the “United Nations Decade for Literacy”. The UN Secretary-General's message, on September 8th, 2012, at the International Literacy Day celebrations, refers that “[l]iteracy provides tools for men and women to better understand the world and shape it to meet their aspirations. It is a source of individual dignity and a motor for the healthy development of society”, adding that “a literate world is a more peaceful world, and a more harmonious and healthier world” [1].

Keywords

• health literacy
• oral health
• health promotion
• schoolteachers