News

Understanding maternal health literacy

UCRH researcher Larisa Barnes has published a chapter in Health Literacy in Medicines Use and Pharmacy: A Definitive Guide.

Published by Academic Press (an imprint of Elsevier) the book addresses health literacy specifically within pharmacy and medicine use context, and provides a compilation of important content about medication literacy.

It is designed to empower healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge about medication literacy and provide different approaches to develop customised and patient-friendly written medicines information, including using pictograms in medication instructions.

The book also highlights the use of information and digital health technology in medication literacy, including mHealth applications, wearable devices, educational videos, and gamification strategies.

The chapter, authored by Barnes and colleagues, focuses on health and medication literacy during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The authors explain that maternal health literacy includes the skills and confidence women need to find, understand, and use information to stay healthy and keep their children healthy.

The chapter highlights how crucial health literacy is for mothers and their children, covering everything from planning a pregnancy to breastfeeding. It also reviews recent studies on ways to improve maternal health literacy, including programs to boost mothers’ skills and help healthcare workers communicate better with them.

The chapter, and the full book is available for download here.