University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), Regensburg, Germany.
Member of the Research and Development Campus Regensburg (WECARE), Hospital St. Hedwig of the Order of St. John, Regensburg, Germany.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Sep 5;24(1):2420. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-19906-8.
Parents can engage in several behaviours with regard to early childhood allergy prevention (ECAP). These can be related to diet of mother/child and the modification of the home environment; not all of them are justified by current evidence. Previous studies showed that parental health literacy (HL) is related to favourable health behaviours directed at the child. This study aimed to investigate the causal effect of mothers' HL on ECAP behaviours and to test different moderators of this effect.
One thousand six hundred sixty-two mothers participating in the KUNO-Kids health study in the area of Regensburg, Germany were surveyed on HL (assessed via the health care scale of the Health Literacy Survey-EU questionnaire, HLS-EU-Q47) and ECAP behaviours implemented during pregnancy and the child's first year of life. Patterns in ECAP behaviours were identified by latent class analysis. Multinomial regression modelling was performed with HL as exposure, ECAP as outcome variable, allergy risk, parental competence and bonding, anxiety and depression as moderators as well as potentially confounding variables.
We identified three classes of ECAP behaviours (class 1: "breastfeeding " N = 871; class 2: "allergen-avoidance " N = 490; class 3: "mixed behaviours " N = 301). In univariable as well as fully adjusted regression models, compared to class 1, class 2 was negatively, and class 3 was not associated with HL. None of the tested moderating variables altered the association between HL and ECAP significantly.
We found an effect of mothers' HL on ECAP behaviours: lower HL of mothers increased allergen-avoiding behaviour directed at their child, while decreasing the chance of exclusive breastfeeding. Improving HL could contribute to the implementation of recommended ECAP behaviours in families, especially to the reduction of allergen-avoiding behaviours.
父母可以采取几种行为来预防儿童早期过敏（ECAP）。这些行为可以与母婴饮食和家庭环境的改变有关；但并非所有行为都有当前证据支持。先前的研究表明，父母的健康素养（HL）与针对儿童的有利健康行为有关。本研究旨在调查母亲 HL 对 ECAP 行为的因果影响，并检验这种影响的不同调节因素。
1662 名参与德国雷根斯堡 KUNO-Kids 健康研究的母亲接受了 HL（通过健康素养调查-EU 问卷的医疗保健量表 HLS-EU-Q47 评估）和在怀孕期间及儿童生命的第一年实施的 ECAP 行为调查。通过潜在类别分析确定 ECAP 行为模式。采用多项回归模型，以 HL 为暴露因素，ECAP 为结果变量，过敏风险、父母能力和亲子关系、焦虑和抑郁为调节因素，以及潜在的混杂变量。
我们确定了三种 ECAP 行为模式（模式 1：“母乳喂养”N=871；模式 2：“过敏原回避”N=490；模式 3：“混合行为”N=301）。在单变量和完全调整的回归模型中，与模式 1相比，模式 2呈负相关，模式 3与 HL 无关。测试的调节变量均未显著改变 HL 与 ECAP 之间的关联。
我们发现母亲 HL 对 ECAP 行为有影响：母亲 HL 水平较低会增加针对孩子的过敏原回避行为，同时降低纯母乳喂养的机会。提高 HL 可能有助于在家庭中实施推荐的 ECAP 行为，特别是减少过敏原回避行为。
