Addressing health literacy in schools in the WHO European Region

Paakari, L., Inchley, J. , Schulz, A., Weber, M. W. and Okan, O. (2019) Addressing health literacy in schools in the WHO European Region. Public Health Panorama, 5(2-3), pp. 186-190.

Abstract

The education system as a whole and schools in particular are important settings for the development of health literacy among children. Any improvement in health literacy skills may benefit the health, growth and development of children, as well as their health in later life and the health of the broader society. This short communication presents some of the prerequisites for schools to become key settings for health literacy development in school-aged children. Recent research and the current status of school health literacy policies in the WHO European Region will also be reviewed. We argue that health literacy must become a critical agenda item in education policies across the Region and, moreover, intersect with further sectoral strategies and policies on health literacy and public health across the political spectrum.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Sources of funding: This work was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF): Health Literacy in Childhood and Adolescence (funding code 01EL1824A; Orkan Okan) and the Juho Vainio Foundation (Leena Paakkari).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Inchley, Dr Joanna
• Authors: Paakari, L., Inchley, J., Schulz, A., Weber, M. W., and Okan, O.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > MRC/CSO SPHSU
• Journal Name: Public Health Panorama
• Publisher: WHO Regional Office for Europe
• ISSN: 2412-544X
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © World Health Organization 2019
• First Published: First published in Public Health Panorama 5(2-3):186-190
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license