Literacy Behaviors Research Articles

The Relationship between Health Literacy and Health Promotion Behavior in Adolescents

The Relationship between Health Literacy and Health Promotion Behavior in Adolescents

Four-level evaluation of health promotion intervention for preventing early childhood caries: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundEarly childhood caries (ECC) is the most common dental disease among children, which can affect children’s primary teeth during their teething. This study evaluates an intervention for preventing early childhood caries in a pediatric population in Ahvaz, Iran.MethodThe population of this study (IRCT2017070210804N10) consists of 104 women with 12 to 36 months of age without dental caries referred to a health care center in Ahvaz, Iran. The children were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group in equal numbers. First, the demographic information of participants was collected through a questionnaire containing components of perceived threat, health literacy, and oral health behaviors using a valid and reliable questionnaire. The ECC status of the children was established by a dentist. Control group received “standard well baby care”. The experimental group received standard well baby care in addition to educational interventions, including lecture and group discussion. After 6 months, the participant completed the questionnaire for the second time, and the children’s teeth were reexamined. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 15 at a significance level of p < 0.05.ResultsThe mean ages of women and children were 31 ± 6.68 years and 18 ± 7.21 months, respectively. Before the intervention, no significant difference was documented between the groups for the study variables, p > 0.05. However, after the intervention, a significant difference was observed between the perceived threats (41.15 ± 4.46 in the experimental group and 38.26 ± 4.21 in the control group, p = 0.001), health literacy (20.98 ± 2.15 in the experimental group and 19.76 ± 2.70 in the control group, p = 0.01), oral health behaviors (7.75 ± 2.30 in the experimental group and 6.15 ± 2.65 in the control group, p = 0.01), and the incidence of ECC (13% in the experimental group and 35% in the control group,p = 0.001).ConclusionThis intervention had positive effects on the perceived threat, health literacy, and health behaviors; and the intervention could reduce the incidence of ECC. The finding of this study provided a suggestion for evidence-based decision-making processes regarding ECCs prevention programs.Trial registrationIRCT2017070210804N10 (retrospectively registered)

The sleeping patterns of Head Start children and the influence on developmental outcomes.

Sleep has a significant influence on children's development. The objective of this study was to investigate Head Start children's sleeping patterns and the impact on cognitive and behavioural outcomes. Using the 2009 cohort of the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (N=2,868), information on sleeping patterns was assessed through parent interviews. Cognitive outcomes were assessed using direct assessments (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-IV, the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test, and Subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson III) in addition to teacher report. Behavioural outcomes were assessed through parent and teacher reports. A multiple regression analysis was performed for each outcome variable. Descriptive findings showed that 89% of children had a regular bedtime at least 4days per week and that the average amount of sleep per night was 10.41hr. White mothers were more likely than other racial groups to adhere to a consistent bedtime, and maternal employment predicted less hour of sleep per night. Multiple regression analyses revealed that disrupted sleep had a negative influence on cognitive outcomes, especially in areas of mathematical problem solving, receptive language, teacher-reported literacy behaviours, and approaches to learning. Disrupted sleep was associated with the risk of misbehaviour by increasing teacher and parent ratings on aggressive behaviours, hyperactivity, and withdrawing in addition to decreased scores on overall social skills. Having an inconsistent bedtime negatively predicted expressive vocabulary and teacher-reported literacy behaviours. The findings of this study support the influential role of sleep on children's development. Sleeping through the night and having a consistent bedtime were found to be predictive of many areas of cognitive and behavioural development. Head Start staff can provide the supports to increase parental knowledge on appropriate child sleep practices.

Factors Affecting Financial Literacy of Vietnamese Adults: A Case Study for Hanoi and Nghe An

This research examines the factors affecting the financial literacy of Vietnamese adults. Using a sample of 266 observations of adults in 2 big cities in Vietnam (Hanoi and Vinh in Nghe An Province), the author evaluates the literacy level of adults in these urban areas. The financial literacy of the interviewed people is low. The multiple regression results show that lower financial literacy levels associate with higher age and married status and higher financial literacy levels associate with higher education, more family members, the person making financial decisions and the person attending a useful financial course. This research also explores the association between financial literacy and financial behaviors of individuals employing logistic models. It is found that higher financial literacy associates with less probability of overspending and higher probability of saving money and careful spending. Higher financial literacy is also found to associate with higher probability of opening a savings account and making various investments.

Perceived eHealth Literacy and Information Behavior of Older Adults Enrolled in a Health Information Outreach Program

ABSTRACTIn collaboration with a public library system, faculty from a health sciences center library offered a series of courses for older adults based on the NIHSeniorHealth Toolkit for Trainers. A mixed-methods survey was offered to all program attendees during the training sessions. The survey assessed participants’ perceived eHealth literacy, which websites they searched for eHealth information, participants’ most/least trusted sources of health information, and if/what barriers exist for older adults when searching for eHealth information. Results from this pilot program indicate that participants believe access to eHealth resources is important and useful, but are unsure what online resources are available, how to find them, or how to evaluate their quality.

The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Self-Care Behaviors Among Diverse Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Self-Care Behaviors Among Diverse Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Conversation Compass© Communication Screener: a conversation screener for teachers

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to report preliminary reliability and validity data from the Conversation Compass© Communication Screener (CCCS), a teacher-reported language screener intended to capture children’s skills related to classroom conversations with peers and teachers. Three preschool teachers completed the CCCS and the Child Observation Record (COR) for 36 students. Results indicated six subscales – literacy, clarity, social communication, decontextualized thinking, grammar, and negative communication behaviours – in the CCCS were reliable at Cronbach’s alphas of .71 or greater. Results also indicated its concurrent validity with the COR. Lastly, analyses indicated the screener was sensitive to maturation in conversation skills in that the measure was correlated with age. Implications are discussed in relation to how teachers can use this tool to inform their classroom practices.

Exploring undergraduate student experiences with information literacy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the differences between first-year and senior undergraduate students’ information literacy behaviors and experiences as measured by the National Survey of Student Engagement Experiences with Information Literacy module. Design/methodology/approach Publically available data resulting from the 2014 and 2015 module was analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to compare group percentages and inferential statistics to discriminate the statistical significance of enrollment status. Findings Statistically significant differences between first-year and senior students were identified for the majority of survey items in both 2014 and 2015. Survey items with the highest effect sizes showed senior students were more likely to: complete an assignment that used the library’s electronic collections, be required to employ practices of a specific major of field, and indicate their institution contributed to their effective use of information. The least frequently exhibited behaviors for both groups were those that require higher-order thinking. Research limitations/implications Limitations of the study include the granularity of publicly available data and the applicability of the results to specific institutions and beyond the USA. Practical implications This study points to areas for further investigation at the national level and offers an approach for colleges and universities to take with their local data. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the analysis of a recently launched information literacy survey.

Study of health literacy and health behavior in Almaty City and Almaty Region, Kazakhstan

Study of health literacy and health behavior in Almaty City and Almaty Region, Kazakhstan

Early Literacy in Library Storytimes: A Study of Measures of Effectiveness

AbstractAcross the nation, librarians work with caregivers and children to encourage engagement in their early literacy programs. However, these early literacy programs that libraries provide have been left mostly undocumented by research, especially through quantitative methods. Valuable Initiatives in Early Learning that Work Successfully (VIEWS2) was designed to test new ways to measure the effectiveness of these early literacy programs for young children (birth to kindergarten), leveraging a mixed methods, quasi-experimental design. Using two innovative tools, researchers collected data at 120 public library storytimes in the first year of research, observing approximately 1,440 children ranging from birth to 60 months of age. Analysis of year-one data showed a correlation between the early literacy content of the storytime program and children’s outcomes in terms of early literacy behaviors. These findings demonstrate that young children who attend public library storytimes are responding to the earl...

Factors associated with health literacy and self-care behaviors among Iranian diabetic patients: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common health problems. Self-care behaviors are very important for managing diabetes and significantly affected by patient's health literacy. The aim of this study was designed to determine the associated factors with health literacy and self-care behaviors among Iranian diabetic patients.Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, the total of 131 diabetic patients who referred to the Tuyserkan diabetes clinic (in the west of Iran) was recruited by census sampling method in 2014. The data were collected using self-care scale of Toobert and Glasgow and health literacy questionnaire of adults function. To investigate demographic and the underlying information of patients, pre-designed check-lists based on forms of patients’ care records were used. After collection, data analysis was performed using the software SPSS 16.Results: Self-care and education level, employment status, type of treatment, and body mass index were significantly correlated, the self-care behaviors in terms of the diet, physical activity, blood glucose testing, and foot care were significantly associate with together. Most patients had inadequate health literacy (73.3%) and there was no significant relationship between health literacy and self-care performances. Results indicated that the self-care behaviors in diabetic patients and health literacy status are not in satisfactory level.Conclusion and recommendations: However, diabetic patients, require proper knowledge and attitude of self-care performance to control and manage their disease successfully. In this regard, health promotion programs can pay more attention to self-care and health literacy to people with diabetes.

Financial Literacy, Pension Planning, and Investment Behavior - A Comparative Study between Austria and Switzerland

This paper analyzes the impacts of financial literacy on the investment and pension planning behavior in Austria and Switzerland. Based on survey data of 449 individuals from Austria and Switzerland, we first analyze which socio-demographic and country-specific factors determine financial literacy. In a second step, we explain the investment and pension planning behavior by the level of financial literacy as well as other relevant person- and country-specific characteristics. In particular, we investigate differences between the Austrian and the Swiss with respect to financial literacy and the respective pension system and derive potential impacts on the pension planning and investment behavior of the population. Our results show a higher level of financial literacy in Switzerland compared to Austria, and the difference is even larger for the factual compared to the self-assessed financial literacy. Also women are less financially literate than men. A higher financial literacy has a clear positive impact on the level of pension planning, whereas the effect of the self-assessed financial literacy is stronger than the impact of the factual one. Swiss people seem to care more about pension planning compared to Austrians, and the same holds for elder people compared to the younger persons in our sample. Overall, our results provide some potentially interesting insights on the impacts of institutional differences on pension planning, investment and information behavior.

Improving Family Literacy Practices

A 10-question Likert-type scale survey was presented to parents of children enrolled in the Imagination Library’s (IL) program. IL sends age-appropriate books once a month to children from birth to age 5 so that their parent can read to them. After registering for the program and receiving books, 93 parents answered the survey questions electronically. The questions noted the difference in family literacy behavior after receiving the books. Nine of the questions were multiple-choice whereas the last question was open-ended. This third-year survey was compared with the earlier surveys to establish reliability and used repeated questions to establish validity. The respondents were drawn from a rural minority population in an economically depressed area. The survey results suggested that parents spend more time reading to their children regularly after enrolling in the program. The percentage of parents who read to their children more than once a day rose from 24% to 43%. According to the survey, 48% of parents reported that their child was much more interested in reading. More than half of the parents (67%) reported that their child asked more frequently for books to be read to them after enrolling in the program. In addition, 68% of the families reported that multiple members of the family were engaged with the reading activities. Families report that reading the books had been a positive experience for their children and had helped 70% with vocabulary development and 66% with listening skills.

Ο αναδυόμενος γραμματισμός στην προσχολική εκπαίδευση: Νέα ζητήματα και εκπαιδευτικές προτάσεις

The present study aims to describe a theoretical perspective of emergent literacy, based on a detailed literature review of previous theoretical models, and on contemporary research findings on the structure of emergent literacy. A triangular model is suggested to explain the construct of emergent literacy. A prominent role is given to the continuous interaction of various contextual experiences with the components of emergent literacy. The construct of emergent literacy consists of three major components which are considered critical for literacy acquisition. These major components are the knowledge of literacy concepts, literacy skills and literacy behaviours. The knowledge components include concepts about print and letter knowledge; the literacy skills include oral language (vocabulary, listening comprehension, and narrative skills) and metalinguistic (phonological, syntactic and morphological awareness) skills; literacy behaviour includes emergent reading and emergent writing. According to this triangular model, the components of literacy knowledge and literacy skills are intercorrelated, while both components influence the emergence of literacy behaviours such as emergent reading and writing. However, beyond the direct links of each major component to each other, there are also indirect links among them through the effects of the experiences children get from the contexts they live in. These experiences originate from home and school contexts. Educational implications for optimal literacy acquisition from an early age are discussed based on the suggestions of this triangular model.

Parent–Child Book-Reading Styles, Emotional Quality, and Changes in Early Head Start Children’s Cognitive Scores

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: The objective of this study was to understand how instructional book-reading style and emotional quality of reading interact and relate to cognitive skills in a sample of at-risk infants and toddlers. Participants were 81 parents and their children participating in Early Head Start programs in the rural Midwest. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to test the hypothesis that parental book-reading instructional style and emotional quality interact and relate to changes in children’s cognitive scores for culturally and linguistically diverse families. Results included that there were variations in how book-reading qualities interacted and related to changes in child cognitive scores for families whose primary home languages were either English or Spanish. Practice or Policy: The results of this study are discussed in conjunction with findings from a previous study published in this journal that examined concurrent relationships in the same sample of Early Head Start families. Combined, findings of these studies underscore a need to further explore potentially complex patterns of relationships among parental literacy behaviors and child knowledge, concurrently and across time, for culturally and linguistically diverse families. Better understanding these patterns could inform the development and implementation of culturally sensitive intervention approaches designed to support high-quality parent–child book reading.

For the love of reading

Find out how a targeted programme run by the National Literacy Trust is empowering families with children aged between two to five years, to improve early literacy behaviours and enhance home learning.

Dimensi, Jenjang dan Asesmen Perilaku Berliterasi Siswa di Sekolah

Dimensions and stages of student literacy behavior at schools should ideally cover the awareness and motivation, skill, and interest in literacy and maintenance of these aspects in the actualization of literacy behavior. In this way, the activities of reading, thinking and writing as the core of literacy behavior can be fully developed on a high level of awareness and motivation, which will be manifested in the interest shown by students in their daily activites at school. Futhermore, students will be motivated to work hard to maintain their achievement. Therefore assessment of the students literacy should be congruent with the dimention and stages of the ideal literacy behavior.

The influence of newborn early literacy intervention programs in three canadian provinces

Low levels of literacy in early childhood can have lasting effects on children’s educational and intellectual development. Many countries have implemented newborn literacy programs designed to teach parents pre-literacy promoting activities to share with their children. We conducted 2 quasi-experimental studies using 1) a pre-test/post-test design and 2) a non-equivalent control group design to examine the effect of newborn literacy programs on parents’ self-reported literacy intentions/behaviors, values toward literacy, and parent-child interactions. Parents were recruited from 3 provinces, 2 with newborn literacy programs (intervention) and 1 without (control). Parents in the intervention group completed prenatal and postnatal (after participation in program) questionnaires. Parents in the control group completed 1 questionnaire. Questionnaires were designed to capture parents’ literacy intentions (prenatal), behaviors (postnatal), values, and parent-child interactions (postnatal). A total of 98 parents were included in study one and 174 were included in study two. Parents’ self-reported prenatal intentions and values were higher than their postnatal behaviors and values. Parents in the intervention group exhibited higher literacy behaviors and values and greater enjoyment reading to their children than parents in the control group, though they also reported reading to their children less frequently. Parents in the intervention group had significantly higher Positive Interactive scores than controls. Overall, we found participation in newborn literacy programs positively impacted parenting behaviors and attitudes. Lower postnatal within-group scores (intentions and values versus behaviors and values) may have been the result of participants’ high expectations. Given our findings, we recommend that these programs continue.

A Study on Comparison of Influencing Factors on Financial Literacy and Financial Management Behavior of Undergraduate Students: Focused on Goal Setting, Planning, Overconfidence

A Study on Comparison of Influencing Factors on Financial Literacy and Financial Management Behavior of Undergraduate Students: Focused on Goal Setting, Planning, Overconfidence

Relationship of oral health literacy with oral health behaviors among adults

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors. Methods: The study subjects were 760 adults who were selected using the convenience sampling method. The participants were administered a self-report questionnaire. Oral health literacy was classified into two categories: verbal oral health literacy and functional oral health literacy. The oral heath behaviors that were surveyed included perceived oral health status, perceived oral health interest, perceived oral health knowledge, experience of visiting dental clinic, experience of scaling, and the frequency of toothbrushing. Sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, educational level, and family income were also surveyed. Results: The ratio of self-perceived good oral health status and toothbrushing more than three times a day was higher in the participants with high oral health literacy than in those with low oral health literacy. Oral health literacy was positively correlated with oral health behaviors. Perceived oral health status, perceived oral health interest, perceived oral health knowledge, experience of scaling, and frequency of daily toothbrushing were also positively correlated with oral health literacy. Furthermore, perceived oral health status and frequency of daily toothbrushing were both correlated with verbal oral health literacy and functional oral health literacy. A multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that oral health literacy was correlated with oral health behaviors. Verbal oral health literacy was correlated with perceived oral health interest, perceived oral health knowledge, and frequency of daily toothbrushing. Functional oral health literacy was correlated with perceived oral health status. Conclusions: To improve the oral health of adults, oral health literacy, which is related to oral health behaviors, should be considered alongside the implementation of appropriate oral health education. Furthermore, an oral health literacy intervention should be immediately developed.