Title: Exploring the correlation between health literacy and medical decision-making conflict in parents of children with precocious puberty
Abstract:
Research Background and Motivation: The prevalence of precocious puberty in children has significantly increased in recent years. In this information-rich era, there is a plethora of external information, but the accuracy varies, which can easily lead to conflicts in medical decision-making among parents. Understanding this relationship may aid in developing more effective intervention timings, educational strategies, and communication approaches to optimize the decision-making process in clinical care.
Purpose: To investigate the health literacy and decision-making conflict of parents of children with precocious puberty and analyze the correlation these two factors.
Research Methods and Design: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted at a medical center in the northern region. Parents of children with precocious puberty were recruited using a self-administered demographic questionnaire, a Chinese multifaceted health literacy scale, and a problem-based decision-making conflict scale.
Results: A total of 65 parents of children with precocious puberty were included in this study, with an average health literacy score of 36.01 and an average decision conflict score of 17.64. The results indicated that lower health literacy was associated with higher decision-making conflict (r = -0.454, p < 0.001). A simple linear regression analysis revealed that health literacy significantly predicted decision conflict (R²= .205, F = 16.201, p < .001). For each one-point increase in health literacy, the level of decision conflict decreased by 0.684 points (B = -0.684, 95% Confidence Interval = [-1.023, -0.344], p < .001).
Conclusion: Improving parents' health awareness regarding precocious puberty, especially their ability to communicate and use information, is crucial for reducing decision-making conflicts. Key strategies for improving parental medicaldecision-making include fostering two-way communication and equipping parents with the skills to apply health information in medical contexts. It is recommended that future health education platforms be designed to accommodate varying levels of health literacy, emphasize clarity, and support interactive communication. These platforms could serve as protective factors in the medical decision-making process. Furthermore, it is strongly suggested that screening for precocious puberty be included as a routine item in school health examinations to facilitate early detection and timely intervention
