Last week I took my two year daughter to the Natural History Museum, she really loved the section about the human body, mostly because there were lots of buttons to press. But it made me think about the importance of cultivating kid’s interest in their own health.

Both my kids seem naturally interested in this - maybe because they have a geeky mum. My 5 year old son even went through a weird phase of relaxing by leafing through my old anatomy text book.

Health information for children

Teaching your kids detailed physiology is probably overkill - but the building blocks of health literacy start at an early age. Health literacy is described by researchers as a  “life-long learning process, starting in early childhood.” Health literacy interventions aimed at children and young people can help promote healthy behaviors and reduce future health risks. 

I know from projects I have worked on for Crohn’s and Colitis UK and Alex TLC that even very young children try to make sense of changes in their own health and the health of adults close to them. When children are living with a health condition clear and engaging health information for them and  their parents is vital, as the Patient Information Forum promotes in their guidance.

Life-long health learning

The importance of health literacy extends into adulthood, but it is a problem for a large portion of our population - 61 per cent of the working age population in England find it difficult to understand health and wellbeing information (National Health England). Yet, adequate health literacy is necessary in order for people to be able to self-manage, access and stick with treatments, and navigate the health system. Low health literacy has a tangible negative impact on health outcomes. 

Creating accessible health communications

In all the projects I work on I consider the health literacy levels and needs of the audience. Striving to create accessible and practical health content that can be understood and is actually useful in the context of their lives. This may even include something as seemingly simple as testing  the colours and labels on a medical diagram with users.

I also interweave ways to empower people to improve their own health literacy in the communications I develop. From encouraging people living with blood cancer to set their own health goals. To making it easier for young people with inflammatory bowel disease to learn about and record aspects of their own condition and treatment.

Making health communications interactive and available in a variety of different media also helps (read the Improving health literacy to reduce health inequalities report for more ideas).

Start ‘em young

My daughter has already started her health literacy journey - she knows that her brain is in her head! It sounds basic, but whether you have to take them to a museum, show them an anatomy book, watch a CBeebies show or just teach them the proper names for body parts - it’s all about empowering our future generation to take care of themselves and their health.