Research Lead: Susmita Pati, MD MPH
Supported by: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Dates: April 2005- February 2010
Background
Participation in publicly funded social welfare programs such as The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Medicaid has been shown to improve child health and developmental outcomes. However, many eligible children are not enrolled in these programs. Children depend on their caregivers to enroll them. As more than 20% of American adults have low health literacy, many children have parents with inadequate health literacy. Parents with low literacy may not fully understand enrollment or renewal instructions, which may affect the participation of their children in these programs.
Aims
- Explore the extent to which low maternal health literacy explains differences in participation in public programs designed to improve child health outcomes.
- Explore the extent to which participation in public programs reduces or eliminates the association between low maternal health literacy and poor child health outcomes.
Methods
Study Design: Two-year longitudinal cohort study combining data from surveys, administrative Medicaid eligibility files, CHOP’s state-of-the-art electronic medical records, and Philadelphia’s electronic immunization registry. Maternal health literacy is measured using the short form of the Test of Functional Health Literacy for Adults.
Population: 717 Medicaid-eligible mothers and their infants recruited from the post-partum wards at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Progress
Results from this analysis have been presented at:
- Pati S, Mohamad Z, Shea J. Is Maternal Health Literacy Associated with Participation in Child Social Welfare Programs? Oral Presentation. NIH Health Literacy Grantees Meeting. National Harbor, Maryland. December 15, 2008.
- Pati S, Mohamad Z, Shea J. Is Maternal Health Literacy Associated with Participation in Child Social Welfare Programs? Oral Presentation. NIH Summit: The Science of Eliminating Health Disparities. Sponsored by the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. National Harbor, Maryland. December 17, 2008.
