Addressing Health Literacy in Pediatric Practice: A Health Equity Lens

Tiffany A Stewart; Eliana M Perrin; Hsiang Shonna Yin

doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2023.03.007

Addressing Health Literacy in Pediatric Practice: A Health Equity Lens

Pediatr Clin North Am. 2023 Aug;70(4):745-760. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2023.03.007. Epub 2023 May 12.

Authors

Tiffany A Stewart¹, Eliana M Perrin², Hsiang Shonna Yin³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine / Bellevue Hospital Center, 550 First Avenue, NBV 8S4-11, New York, NY 10016, USA.
² Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine / School of Nursing, 200 North Wolfe Street, Rubenstein Building 2071, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
³ Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine / Bellevue Hospital Center, 550 First Avenue, NBV 8S4-11, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: yinh02@med.nyu.edu.

PMID: 37422312
DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2023.03.007

Abstract

Low health literacy has been linked to worse child health-related knowledge, behaviors, and outcomes across multiple health domains. As low health literacy is highly prevalent and an important mediator of income- and race/ethnicity-associated disparities, provider adoption of health literacy best practices advances health equity. A multidisciplinary effort involving all providers engaged in communication with families should include a universal precautions approach, with clear communication strategies employed with all patients, and advocacy for health system change.

Keywords: Health communication; Health equity; Health literacy; Universal precautions.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Child
Communication
Ethnicity
Health Equity*
Health Literacy*
Humans