Relationship between maternal communicative/critical health literacy and child’s asthma symptoms: Results from a population-based survey in metropolitan Japan

Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine the association between maternal communicative/critical health literacy (CCHL) and child’s asthma symptoms. MethodsIn a population-based survey in greater Tokyo (N = 790 mother–child [aged 2–11 years] pairs), maternal CCHL was assessed with a validated questionnaire, and the presence of asthma symptoms in children was assessed by parent report using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood score. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to analyze the association between child’s asthma and maternal health literacy, adjusting for potential confounders. ResultsThe prevalence of child’s asthma in the past year was significantly higher in the high maternal CCHL group than in the low CCHL group (18.0% vs 12.3%,p;0.035). High maternal CCHL was positively associated with the presence of child’s asthma symptoms after adjusting for the child’s clinical factors; household income; and maternal educational attainment, psychological distress, and employment status (coefficient = 0.494, 95% confidence interval: 0.012–0.976). ConclusionHigh maternal CCHL does not necessarily lead to appropriate asthma control in children. CCHL’s role in information overload environments requires further investigation. Practice ImplicationsHealth care practitioners should provide support even to parents with high CCHL to enable them to make appropriate decisions.