Family Home Environment & Adolescent Health Literacy

• In Event: Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Topic - Family Context & Processes

Abstract

Background
Manganello’s (2008) adolescent health literacy (AHL) model recognizes household factors as potential facilitators of AHL. Manganello’s framework identifies individual traits of the child, family and peer influences, mass media, education, and health system as potential facilitators or barriers of AHL. Additionally, other health literacy scholars have called for more emphasis to be placed on family-level interventions (e.g., Champlin, Hoover, & Mackert, 2019; McCormack, Thomas, Lewis, & Rudd, 2017). Yet, little research has been conducted on critical factors of the home environment that might influence AHL. The majority of AHL studies have primarily examined the influence of “individual traits” such as age, current grade level, and race (Fleary et al., 2018; Perry, 2014); whereas, few studies have focused on the influence of the home environment. The only known factors to influence AHL are social capital factors of parental health literacy, parent education, and household income. Yet, much scholarship exists on the impact of the home environment on adolescent well-being. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to expand the understanding of household factors that influence AHL by examining the relationship between AHL and the home environment variables of family communication, family involvement, and books in the home.

Methods
This study used an online, quantitative study design involving survey of children and their parents. A recruited sample of 105 adolescents and their parents completed the survey. Adolescent health literacy was measured using the Newest Vital Sign. A quantitative analysis of correlations and regression was employed to explore the relationship between AHL and household factors.

Results
There were several significant correlations between predictor variables and AHL scores. The strongest significant, positive relationship was between child NVS and parent NVS (r=.85, p<.01). There was also a moderate positive relationship between Child NVS and books in home (parent) (r=.32, p<.15), books in home child (r=.31, p<.01) and parental education level (r=.26, p<.01). Of interesting note, there was no significant correlation between child NVS scores and family communication or involvement as described by the parent or the child. All significant predictors were forced simultaneously into the model. Regression analysis found that, together, parental education level, number of books in home (parent report) and parental NVS scores explain a significant amount of the variance of AHL scores (f (4, 100)= 69.37, p=.00, R2=.74, R2adjusted=.72). When each variable was analyzed individually, only parental health literacy significantly contributed to the model (β = .86, SE (β) = .057, Standardized β= .850, p=.000).
Conclusions
Findings from this study suggest that parental health literacy is the best-known household facilitator of AHL. Family communication and family involvement were not correlated with AHL. Number of books in the home was corelated with AHL. A good understanding of the factors influencing AHL are necessary for developing interventions. These findings continue to lend support that AHL is heavily associated with parental health literacy. Future health literacy interventions should consider incorporating a parent/caregiver component. Future research should continue to understand the strong relationship between AHL and parental health literacy.

Authors

• Karen K Melton, Baylor University
  Presenting Author

• Elizabeth P Caldwell, Baylor University
  Non-Presenting Author