Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
University of West Attica, Athens, Greece.
Health Educ Behav. 2022 Feb;49(1):54-65. doi: 10.1177/1090198120982944. Epub 2021 Jan 15.
Children's health literacy is a crucial pillar of health. This study is aimed to examine the association between health literacy and weight status among Greek schoolchildren aged 10 to 12 years old. A population-based, cross-sectional observational study enrolling 1,728 students (795 boys), aged 10 to 12 years old, was conducted during school years 2014-2016. A health literacy index (range 0-100) was created through an item response theory hybrid model, by combining a variety of beliefs and perceptions of children about health. The mean health literacy score was 70.4 (±18.7). The majority of children (63.8%) had a "high" level (i.e., >67/100) of health literacy, 30.5% had a "medium" level (i.e., 34-66/100) of health literacy, while a small proportion of children (5.7%) had a "low" level (i.e., <33/100). Girls exhibited a higher level of health literacy than boys (71.7 ± 18.3 vs. 68.8 ± 19.1, < .01). Regarding body weight status, 21.7% of children was overweight and 5.0% was obese. Linear regression models showed that the health literacy score was inversely associated with children's body mass index (regression coefficient [95% CI]: -0.010 [-0.018, -0.001]), after adjusting for dietary habits, physical activity levels, and other potential confounders. Health literacy seems to be a dominant characteristic of children's weight status; therefore, school planning, as well as public health policy actions should emphasize on the ability of children's capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information.
儿童健康素养是健康的重要支柱。本研究旨在探讨希腊 10 至 12 岁学童的健康素养与体重状况之间的关系。在 2014 至 2016 学年期间，进行了一项基于人群的横断面观察性研究，共纳入 1728 名 10 至 12 岁的学生（795 名男生）。通过结合儿童对健康的各种信念和认知，利用项目反应理论混合模型创建健康素养指数（范围 0-100）。健康素养平均得分为 70.4（±18.7）。大多数儿童（63.8%）具有“高”水平（即>67/100）的健康素养，30.5%具有“中”水平（即 34-66/100）的健康素养，而一小部分儿童（5.7%）具有“低”水平（即<33/100）的健康素养。女孩的健康素养水平高于男孩（71.7 ± 18.3 比 68.8 ± 19.1，<.01）。就体重状况而言，21.7%的儿童超重，5.0%的儿童肥胖。线性回归模型显示，在调整饮食习惯、身体活动水平和其他潜在混杂因素后，健康素养得分与儿童的体质指数呈负相关（回归系数[95%CI]：-0.010[-0.018，-0.001]）。健康素养似乎是儿童体重状况的主要特征；因此，学校规划以及公共卫生政策行动应强调儿童获取、处理和理解基本健康信息的能力。
