Emmerton Lynne, Chaw Xin Yao, Kelly Fiona, Kairuz Therese, Marriott Jennifer, Wheeler Amanda, Moles Rebekah
Curtin University, Australia
Curtin University, Australia.
J Child Health Care. 2014 Dec;18(4):302-13. doi: 10.1177/1367493513496663. Epub 2013 Aug 1.
Functional health literacy is founded on general and numerical literacy and practical skills and is required for the appropriate and effective management of health symptoms in children. This study aimed to assess the health literacy skills of parents and caregivers of preschool-aged children, using a progressive scenario describing a child with fever and presenting tasks relating to selection of a medicine and hypothetical dosing of their child. Participants (n = 417) from 33 childcare- and health-related sites in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland completed the study. Participants' responses were largely appropriate regarding actions in response to worsening symptoms, selection of an appropriate product (from a limited range), whereby 84.5% of responses were for a single-ingredient paracetamol product and use of the package directions to state the frequency of dosing (93.1% of frequencies appropriate for paracetamol and 66.7% for ibuprofen). However, in only 50.8% of cases was an appropriate weight-based dose calculated, and doses were not measured to within 10% of the stated dose in 16.7% of cases. Future studies should focus on skill development via educational campaigns for parents and caregivers.
功能性健康素养建立在一般素养、数字素养和实践技能的基础之上，是儿童健康症状恰当且有效管理所必需的。本研究旨在通过描述一个发烧儿童的递进情景并呈现与选择药物及假设给孩子用药剂量相关的任务，来评估学龄前儿童家长和照料者的健康素养技能。来自悉尼、布里斯班、墨尔本和奥克兰33个与儿童保育及健康相关场所的参与者（n = 417）完成了该研究。参与者对于应对症状恶化的行动、选择合适产品（从有限范围中）的反应大多是恰当的，其中84.5%的反应选择了单一成分的扑热息痛产品，并根据包装说明确定给药频率（93.1%的扑热息痛给药频率恰当，布洛芬为66.7%）。然而，仅50.8%的情况下计算出了基于体重的合适剂量，16.7%的情况下所测剂量与规定剂量的偏差不在10%以内。未来的研究应通过针对家长和照料者的教育活动来聚焦技能发展。
