title: Association between health literacy and child and adolescent obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We tested the association between child and parental health literacy (HL) and odds of child and adolescent obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of English-speaking child-parent dyads. Newest Vital Sign (NVS) measured HL. We used multivariable logistic regression to test adjusted association between child and parental NVS and obesity. Analyses were stratified for school-aged children (aged 7-11) vs. adolescents (aged 12-19).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We surveyed 239 child-parent dyads. Median child age was 11 [inter-quartile range 9-13]; 123 (51%) were male; 84% Medicaid recipients; 27% obese. For children, the odds of obesity [adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval)] decreased with higher parent NVS [0.75 (0.56,1.00)] and increased with parent obesity [2.53 (1.08,5.94)]. For adolescents, odds of obesity were higher for adolescents with the lowest category of NVS [5.00 (1.26, 19.8)] and older parental age [1.07 (1.01,1.14)] and lower for Medicaid recipients [0.21 (0.06,0.78)] and higher parental education [0.38 (0.22,0.63)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity in school-aged children is associated with parental factors (obesity, parental HL); obesity in adolescents is strongly associated with the adolescent's HL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strategies to prevent and treat obesity should consider limited HL of parents for child obesity and of adolescents for adolescent obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA; Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Roopa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA; Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Warsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA; Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ketterer
authors.affiliation: Nemours Biomedical Research, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA; Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Jobayer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA; Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: isharif@nemours.org.
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sharif
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011932:Reading; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Health literacy; Newest vital sign; Obesity