Health Literacy of Parents/Caregivers of Paediatric Surgical Patients: A Study on 1000 Individuals

PURPOSE: There is a paucity of studies concerning health literacy (HL) of parents/guardians of patients in paediatric surgery. The purpose of our study is to measure HL levels of parents/guardians of paediatric surgery patients and to explore the determinants of low HL levels in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study from December 2016 to July 2018 through in-person interviews of parents/guardians of paediatric surgical patients. Sociodemographic and clinical data were recorded, and HL levels were calculated using a validated tool (HLS-EU-Q16). In order to examine the impact of various sociodemographic variables and clinical data on HL, a multivariate regression model was run. RESULTS: A total of 1000 participants were recruited (recruitment rate 93.5%). Slightly less than half (44.2%) presented problematic or inadequate HL levels. The results of the regression analysis showed that nationality other than Greek (β = −2.180, P < 0.001) and lower health insurance status (β = −0.461, P < 0.05) were associated with lower HL levels. HL was found positively associated with the educational level of the parent (β = −0.775, P < 0.001) and being a health professional (β = 1.791, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of low HL levels in the parents/guardians of paediatric surgical patients is high and should not be neglected both in the pre-operative and post-operative setting. Communication should be tailored to the specific needs of each individual to achieve better engagement and quality of care.