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.