The impact of social inequalities on children's knowledge and representation of health and cancer

What Children and Adolescents Know and Need to Learn about Cancer

Despite cancer's devastating effects on health and longevity, and the critical role of health habits formed during childhood and adolescence in its prevention, children's knowledge of contributors to cancer is understudied. In this paper, the first developmental analysis of the literature, we outline relevant theoretical perspectives and three early emerging intuitions about illness evident among preschool children-contagion/germ, contamination, and unhealthy lifestyle theories-and then review research on elementary and secondary school students' awareness of risk factors for cancer in light of these early intuitive theories. Our analysis centers on the 16 studies we could locate, done in seven countries, that allowed calculating the percentages of children of different age groups who mentioned various risk factors in response to open-ended questions or endorsed them in response to structured questions. Awareness of primary known risk factors (led by smoking), lifestyle contributors, and personal factors (genetics and old age) increased with age, while contact myths decreased with age until adolescents began to show awareness of sexual contact as a contributor to certain cancers. In addition, the analysis revealed higher levels of awareness in response to structured questions than in response to open-ended questions; a glaring need for research asking young school-aged children about key risk factors and exploring not only their knowledge but their causal understanding; a need for attention to sociocultural influences; and connections between preschool children's intuitive theories of disease and older children's patterns of belief about cancer that can help guide school-based cancer education.

The impact of financial deprivation on children's cybersecurity knowledge & abilities

Online users require a working knowledge of password "best practice", as well as the ability to apply such knowledge. Children increasingly operate as independent agents online, and thus also need to be aware of password "best practice". To meet this need, the Scottish curriculum for excellence includes lessons about password "best practice". Hence, all Scottish children ought, theoretically, to have similar levels of password-related knowledge. They ought also, by age 8-9, to be able to apply their knowledge. One factor that could deter password-related knowledge acquisition and skill development is financial deprivation. To gauge its impact, we assessed the knowledge and abilities of Scottish 8-9 year old children, in four primary schools, in areas of varying financial deprivation. We uncovered stark differences in knowledge and password retention. There is a clear need for an extra-curricular intervention programme to teach up-to-date password "best practice" and support in developing the required password management skills. This will reduce their online vulnerabilities, whatever their socio-economic background.

Empowerment Through Participation in a Cancer Prevention Exhibit: Evidence from the Hygée Lab Intervention

While many countries have launched cancer prevention initiatives to improve the public's understanding of risk and protective factors, few are systematically evaluated. Hygée Lab, a living lab in a socioeconomically deprived area of France, is designed to interactively communicate evidence-based information about cancer prevention and treatment with the goal to improve visitors' understanding of cancer risk and prevention factors, reduce fatalism in regard to cancer, and increase feelings of empowerment. Pre- and post-visit data were collected during the first 18 months of the exhibit's opening from two segments of the population: adolescents from local schools (N = 134) and the general public (N = 112). Adolescents from the same schools who did not participate in the visit comprised the control group (N = 94). A further 232 general public visitors completed post-surveys only. Pre-post-visit comparisons reveal significant changes in both adolescent and general public visitors: cancer understanding improves, fatalism in regard to cancer is reduced, and feelings of empowerment increase. This systematic evaluation of Hygée Lab offers promise for how interactive exhibits may be used for cancer prevention amongst low health literacy populations.

Sociodemographic factors associated with health literacy in a large sample of mothers of newborn children: cross-sectional findings from the KUNO-Kids birth cohort study

Health literacy is an important public health goal and of particular relevance when people are starting a family. Health literacy is thought to be crucial for the management of the manifold demands relating to child health which are imposed on parents. The aim of this study was to investigate health literacy in a large sample of mothers of newborn children in Germany. Sociodemographic factors and health literacy (as assessed by the HLS-EU health care scale) were analyzed using data from 2403 mothers of newborns who take part in an ongoing birth cohort study (KUNO-Kids health study). Almost 40% of mothers had a limited health literacy level. Being primiparous was significantly associated with lower health literacy, while having a high level of education compared with a medium level of education was significantly associated with higher health literacy.Conclusion: The finding of a substantial amount of mothers experiencing problems in dealing with and navigating through the healthcare system is important for the design of pediatric health services.What is Known:• New parents are confronted with many recommendations about child health.• Health literacy of parents is considered crucial for child health outcomes.What is New:• Many mothers of newborns have a limited health literacy level.• First-time mothers and mothers with lower education are particularly at risk for low health literacy.