Well being literacy refers back to the capability of individuals to search out, perceive, and use data and providers to make knowledgeable health-related choices and actions for themselves and others.
On this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician with Mayo Clinic’s Kids’s Heart, explains how Mayo Clinic is main the way in which to boost well being literacy for youths by means of participating books to tell and encourage younger individuals.
Growing private well being literacy — which is the power to search out, perceive, and use health-related data and providers — is one thing that may start early in life.
“Mayo Clinic is truly an expert in health care. And we have an opportunity to be there talking with children, getting them excited about their health and empowering them to have agency over their own health and the health of their communities,” stated Mattke.
Mattke says these kinds of books present accessible data on a variety of well being and science-related matters.
“I think there’s a lot of health topics that children struggle to understand — anything from immunizations to why they’re feeling sick, especially when children have serious and complex diseases,” stated Mattke.
Understanding their illness might help them really feel empowered and educated about how they will take part of their care. But it surely’s not simply children with severe well being circumstances that may profit from this schooling.
“My children have read all these books and have read them multiple and multiple times. And so, they can help understand these diseases,” stated Mattke.
Which is one other objective of selling well being literacy in youngsters.
“We need to get kids interested in STEM — science, engineering, technology and medicine.,” stated Mattke.