National and international policy documents frame improving
health literacy as a pragmatic intervention to reduce health disparities. But
what links health literacy and disparities? Since the social
determinants of health shape parents' health and health literacy, which in turn
shape their children's early development and adult disease; health disparities
start even before birth and perpetuate. Therefore, health follows the social
gradient and disease concentrates among the disadvantaged. Improving maternal
health literacy, and in the
process empowering disadvantaged mothers, can reduce disparities by enabling
mothers to better reduce risk, maximize protective factors, and obtain the
benefits of health and social services. Further, mothers make 80% of health care decisions for their
families, take them to appointments (84%) and ensure they get recommended care
(79%). The LSP health literacy studies indicate that mothers retain and
hone their improved skills. Furthermore, by default or by design, mothers pass
their skills —whatever they are— to their children in the course of everyday
interactions. For these reasons, it is a logical health and financial
imperative to make maternal health literacy the first priority in health literacy research and intervention that
aims to reduce disparities and future burdens of chronic disease. References Ranji U & Salganicoff A. (2011). Key Findings from the
Kaiser Women's Health Survey, Kaiser Family Foundation US Dept of Labor General Facts
on Women and Job Based Health (2013) https://www.zerotothree.org/search?q=skills |
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CategoriesHealth LiteracyMaternal Child Health Test |
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