Global Perspectives on Children's Health Literacy: Intersections Between Health, Education and Community

This book examines global perspectives of health literacy development to explore the intersections between health, education, and community settings. International health literacy experts provide a collection of important insights and recommendations that are urgently required to inform practice and policy. The impetus for this book is a growing recognition that a siloed approach to supporting health and health literacy exists in many countries. This book addresses a gap in the international literature by presenting solutions that promote ongoing collaboration across settings to redress inequity and optimize global health. Identifying intersections between the settings is critically important to supporting these collaborations.

Health literacy is the ability to find, use, evaluate and apply information to look after our health. Developing the personal asset of health literacy earlier in life influences adult health behaviours. A Health in All Policies approach has been globally endorsed; however, a health literacy in all settings approach is yet to be realised. As a social determinant of health, health literacy can determine health outcomes, educational attainment, social equity, and productivity. The authors investigate the health literacy development of children and their communities within particular regions, exploring whether health literacy is addressed as a health, education or community issue. They describe where silos exist between and within settings, aiming to highlight areas where health literacy is present. This helps identify challenges and opportunities for optimizing health literacy development.

Global Perspectives on Children's Health Literacy is essential reading for public health and health promotion researchers and practitioners, primordial prevention researchers, policy makers, health and education ministers, community service ministers, youth organisations, librarians, school teachers, health and physical education teachers, school nurses, child and parenting services nurses, paediatricians, and allied health professionals who work with children and families (e.g., social workers, speech pathologists, dietitians).

Rosie Nash, B.Pharm (Hons), Grad Cert (Research), PhD, MPS, CF is a Pharmacist and Senior Lecturer in Public Health, at the University of Tasmania, Australia. Rosie co-founded HealthLit4Kids in 2016 and is Australia’s foremost researcher in children’s health literacy and health policy. Since 2018, HealthLit4Kids has been included as a case study in three WHO high level reports and recognised by the WHO as a National Health Literacy Demonstration Project. Rosie was awarded the prestigious Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2020. Rosie is the CEO of HealthLit4Everyone, a social enterprise that aims to support the development of health literacy in communities.

Vaughan Cruickshank, BHM, MEd, PhD, FACHPER is a former health and physical education teacher who is currently a Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education at the University of Tasmania, Australia. He is also the Program Director of the Bachelor of Education (Health and Physical Education) and (Science/Maths) programs. Vaughan’s research interests include how and what Health and Physical Education teachers can do to enhance their teaching and non-teaching roles, how we can keep people active and healthy throughout their lives, and how we can increase the health literacy of children, adults and communities.

Shandell Elmer, RN, BA (Hons), PhD, is an Associate Professor in Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Tasmania, Australia, and holds an Adjunct position with Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria. Shandell co-founded HealthLit4Kids with Dr. Nash in 2016 and is a director of HealthLit4Everyone, a social enterprise that aims to support the development of health literacy in communities. Shandell has significant experience in health literacy research, practice, training and education with diverse communities and service providers. She has completed assignments for the WHO including collaboration on the WHO Health Literacy Development for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.