@article{3102597,
    title = "Health literacy of parents/caregivers of paediatric surgical patients: A study on 1000 individuals",
    author = "Kampouroglou, G. and Velonaki, V.-S. and Pavlopoulou, I.D. and Kosmopoulos, M. and Kouvas, N. and Drakou, E. and Skoutelis, N. and Spinos, D. and Tsagkaris, S. and Tsoumakas, K.",
    journal = "African Journal of Paediatric Surgery",
    year = "2021",
    volume = "18",
    number = "2",
    pages = "85-89",
    publisher = "Wolters Kluwer--Medknow Publications",
    doi = "10.4103/ajps.AJPS_42_20",
    keywords = "adult;  caregiver;  child;  child parent relation;  cross-sectional study;  educational status;  female;  Greece;  health literacy;  human;  male;  middle aged;  psychology;  questionnaire;  surgery, Adult;  Caregivers;  Child;  Cross-Sectional Studies;  Educational Status;  Female;  Greece;  Health Literacy;  Humans;  Male;  Middle Aged;  Parents;  Surgical Procedures, Operative;  Surveys and Questionnaires",
    abstract = "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. © 2021 African Journal of Paediatric Surgery | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow."
}