As children and adolescents (youth) become increasingly involved with their own health care, regularly interact with the health system, and access information that informs their actions and behaviors, higher levels of health literacy will be key for positive health outcomes later in life. Prior research has demonstrated that youth may be interested in understanding health information but may also find it difficult—this difficulty can stem from literacy issues, among other factors. Youth with low literacy are often unable to benefit from health interventions, campaigns, or educational programs.

Health literacy has been well-studied in adults but much less so in youth and there is still much that we don’t know. Yet youth make decisions that affect their health every day in a variety of settings (in school, with peers, etc.) and often do so without an adult presence to guide them. Youth are also exposed to health information every day online and from friends that may or may not be accurate. It is vital that young people have the skills to navigate this environment to protect their health and well-being.

On November 19, 2019, the Roundtable on Health Literacy will convene for a public workshop, planned by an ad hoc planning committee. The workshop keynotes, presentations, and moderated panel discussions will aim to

explicate the necessity of developing health literacy skills in youth;
examine the research on developmentally appropriate health literacy milestones and transitions and measuring health literacy in youth;
learn from programs and policies that represent best practices for developing health literacy skills in youth; and
explore potential collaborations across disciplines for developing health literacy skills in youth.

WEBCAST: A livestream of the video will be embedded at the meeting page for viewing. Please register through EventBrite whether you plan to attend in person or by webcast.

Registrations are closed

Developing Health Literacy Skills in Youth: A Workshop