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Public Libraries as Supportive Environments for Children’s Development of Critical Health Literacy

Author

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  • Catherine L. Jenkins

    (Institute of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK)

  • Susie Sykes

    (Institute of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK)

  • Jane Wills

    (Institute of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK)

Abstract

Critical health literacy enables individuals to use cognitive and social resources for informed action on the wider determinants of health. Promoting critical health literacy early in the life-course may contribute to improved health outcomes in the long term, but children’s opportunities to develop critical health literacy are limited and tend to be school-based. This study applies a settings-based approach to analyse the potential of public libraries in England to be supportive environments for children’s development of critical health literacy. The study adopted institutional ethnography as a framework to explore the public library as an everyday setting for children. A children’s advisory group informed the study design. Thirteen children and 19 public library staff and community stakeholders were interviewed. The study results indicated that the public library was not seen by children, staff, or community stakeholders as a setting for health. Its policies and structure purport to develop health literacy, but the political nature of critical health literacy was seen as outside its remit. A supersetting approach in which children’s everyday settings work together is proposed and a conceptual model of the public library role is presented.

Suggested Citation

  • Catherine L. Jenkins & Susie Sykes & Jane Wills, 2022. "Public Libraries as Supportive Environments for Children’s Development of Critical Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:11896-:d:920204
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Janine Bröder & Orkan Okan & Torsten M. Bollweg & Dirk Bruland & Paulo Pinheiro & Ullrich Bauer, 2019. "Child and Youth Health Literacy: A Conceptual Analysis and Proposed Target-Group-Centred Definition," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Shuaijun Guo & Xiaoming Yu & Orkan Okan, 2020. "Moving Health Literacy Research and Practice towards a Vision of Equity, Precision and Transparency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Samerski, Silja, 2019. "Health literacy as a social practice: Social and empirical dimensions of knowledge on health and healthcare," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 1-8.
    4. Sandra Kirchhoff & Kevin Dadaczynski & Jürgen M. Pelikan & Inge Zelinka-Roitner & Christina Dietscher & Uwe H. Bittlingmayer & Orkan Okan, 2022. "Organizational Health Literacy in Schools: Concept Development for Health-Literate Schools," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-12, July.
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    1. Joy Agner & Katharine Elizabeth Bau & Dirk Bruland, 2024. "An Introduction to Health Literacy and Social Contexts with Recommendations for Health Professionals and Researchers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-14, February.

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