Health literacy in children - case study in a private school context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37914/riis.v9.509Keywords:
health literacy, children, schoolAbstract
Background: health literacy in childhood is crucial for consolidating health-promoting behaviors and preventing risks throughout life. Areas such as vaccination, physical exercise, and nutrition are fundamental, with the school setting representing a privileged context for this promotion. Objective to assess the levels of health literacy among children in the second cycle of basic education regarding vaccination, physical exercise, and healthy eating, within a private school context. Methodology: a quantitative, observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted with 106 students (5th and 6th grades) from a private school in the Leiria region. Data were collected through a classroom-based questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (non-parametric tests) with IBM SPSS software. Results: most children demonstrated “Excellent” or “Very Good/Good” levels of health literacy across all three domains. A statistically significant correlation was observed between physical exercise and healthy eating. No significant differences were found according to age or sex. Conclusion: children exhibit high levels of health literacy, although vaccination shows greater vulnerabilities. These findings reinforce the need for school-based educational interventions and highlight the prominent role of nurses in promoting health literacy in children.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mafalda Sousa, Maria Veríssimo Silvério, Matilde Pirraça, Raquel Mina, Elisabete Cioga
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