Abstract
Health literacy influences how messages are received and understood by patient or population groups. In Europe, incomprehension of health information is common, affecting the ability of many individuals to make informed decisions about their health. In addition, incomprehension of health information may impact the effectiveness of interventions and subsequently, health outcomes. In this article, we illustrate the importance of health literacy in the context of maternity services, a time during which, health interventions affect both maternal and child health. Through this, we suggest that health literacy should be recognised in healthcare settings as a tool to facilitate behaviour change. To support this, we provide practical recommendations for clinicians and researchers on how to address aspects of health literacy in their practice.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | P302 |
| Pages (from-to) | 302 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Irish medical journal |
| Volume | 114 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- health literacy
- maternity services
- health interventions
- maternal health
- child health
- behaviour change
- healthcare settings