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The following is a summary of “Relationship between parental health literacy and primary school students’ anthropometric measurements and general health status,” published in the February 2025 issue of BMC Pediatrics by Asil et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study on parental health literacy and its link to children’s anthropometric measurements and overall health, finding a positive correlation. 

They conducted a power analysis and included 681 children and their parents from 2 primary schools. Data were collected using socio-demographic and student follow-up forms and the European Health Literacy Scale (short form). Parents received the forms via students, and children’s anthropometric measurements were taken in a school office. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used for analysis. 

The results showed that 75.2% of the parents were female, with a mean age of 37.40 ± 5.89 years. Among them, 89.1% were married, 34.7% were high school graduates, 56.1% were employed, and 64.6% reported an income equal to expenses. Additionally, 50.7% had two children. While 49% rated their general health as good, 47.3% rated their children’s health similarly. The Family Health Center was the preferred initial healthcare provider for 59.6% of parents, and 88.7% followed health news. Adequate parental health literacy, with significant associations observed between health literacy and education, marital status, children’s health, and healthcare access preferences (P < 0.05). 

Investigators found that parents with higher education, better self-rated health, and children without oral health issues had higher health literacy. They recommended training programs to improve health literacy in other parents.

Source: bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-025-05445-7