Assessment of Health Literacy in Parents of Children With Familial Mediterranean Fever Using the Turkish Health Literacy Scale.

Background Health literacy (HL) refers to the ability of individuals to find, understand, and use information and resources to make informed health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others. Managing chronic diseases in children and adolescents requires active family involvement. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the HL levels of parents of children diagnosed with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Secondary objectives include identifying the factors influencing the HL levels. Materials and methods Between September 2024 and November 2024, the Turkish Health Literacy Scale-32 (THL-32) was administered to the parents of FMF patients who followed up at the Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic of Kocaeli University Hospital, and their scores were compared based on educational level, residential area, and socioeconomic status. Results A total of 81 participants were included in the study, of whom 63 (77.8%) were mothers. Mothers with a university education demonstrated significantly higher HL scores than those with other education levels (p<0.05). However, no significant association was found between fathers' education levels and their THL-32 scores. The total HL score was found to be adequate in 32 parents (39.5%) and excellent in 12 parents (14.8%), indicating that the HL level was sufficient. In the subscale for evaluating information on "treatment and service" and "disease prevention and health promotion," 31 parents (38.3%) had the lowest HL level. A significant correlation was identified between the residential area (urban vs. rural) and THL-32 scores (p=0.034). Conclusion Almost half of the parents of our patients had adequate HL. The lowest HL scores were observed in the subscales related to "treatment and service" and "disease prevention and health promotion," particularly regarding the ability to evaluate information. Improving parental HL could lead to better participation in treatment processes and enhanced health outcomes for children with FMF.