Sakamoto Masahiko, Suzuki Asuka, Ishikawa Hirono
Health Lit Res Pract. 2025 Apr;9(2):e64-e71. doi: 10.3928/24748307-20241205-01. Epub 2025 May 9.
In recent years, parents have had more opportunities to use applications (apps) to access health care information.
In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether the use of an app that provides health care information on children improves parents' health literacy.
This open-label, nonrandomized, parallel-controlled trial was conducted at two health centers in Japan. We recruited parents of 1.5-year-old children and introduced the Oshiete! Doctor app to the intervention group. The primary outcome was a change in the parents' health literacy scores (HLSs).
A total of 200 parents were included in this study. The mean HLSs slightly improved in both groups, with greater improvement observed in the intervention group than in the control group. However, the difference was not statistically significant. In the intervention group, participants with higher app ratings showed greater improvement in their HLSs after the intervention.
The introduction of an app that provides health care information on children did not show a statistically significant improvement in parents' health literacy. In the intervention group, participants with higher app ratings showed greater improvement in their HLSs after the intervention. Future research on apps and parental health literacy should also consider the frequency of app use. Larger, longer-term studies are needed. [].
近年来，家长有更多机会使用应用程序（app）获取医疗保健信息。
在本研究中，我们旨在评估使用一款提供儿童医疗保健信息的应用程序是否能提高家长的健康素养。
这项开放标签、非随机、平行对照试验在日本的两个健康中心进行。我们招募了1.5岁儿童的家长，并将“告诉我！医生”应用程序引入干预组。主要结局是家长健康素养得分（HLS）的变化。
本研究共纳入200名家长。两组的平均HLS均略有提高，干预组的改善程度大于对照组。然而，差异无统计学意义。在干预组中，应用程序评分较高的参与者在干预后的HLS改善更大。
引入一款提供儿童医疗保健信息的应用程序并未在家长健康素养方面显示出统计学上的显著改善。在干预组中，应用程序评分较高的参与者在干预后的HLS改善更大。未来关于应用程序和家长健康素养的研究也应考虑应用程序的使用频率。需要开展更大规模、更长期的研究。
