KidsPoll: Children Chime in About Health Literacy and Where They Go for Answers (continued)

Of course, being health literate may not prevent kids or adults from getting sick, but it will help them know what to expect if they do. Fortunately, the KidsPoll indicates that children are, indeed, interested in learning about health (almost 80% of kids say they're "very interested" or "sort of interested").

How Can I Help My Child Be More Health Literate?

Here are some tips to help your child obtain, understand, and apply health information:

1. Make sure your child knows where to get correct health information.

Explain that although some sources (i.e., friends, websites, and TV shows) may seem reliable, the best people to ask health-related questions are parents, family doctors, and nurses. According to the survey, older children are more likely than younger to name school as the place they learn the most about health, whereas younger children say they're getting their information from doctors and nurses.

One way you can help your child feel more comfortable about asking doctors and nurses, especially, about health information is to involve your child in the process of doctor's visits. Have him or her:

• Gather information for the doctor. If the situation isn't an emergency, allow your child to contribute to a list of symptoms that you create for the doctor.. Also, before the visit, prepare a history (in the form of a list) with your child of his or her previous illnesses and medical conditions, and a history of illnesses and medical conditions among close family members (parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, and uncles).
• Write down questions. Ask your child to think of questions that he or she would like to ask the doctor. Write them down and give them to the doctor. Kids who are old enough can write down and ask the questions themselves.

The same goes for your child's health class. If your child doesn't understand what the teacher is saying, encourage him or her to ask questions. If your child is embarrassed about the question, tell him or her to write it down or ask it after class.

Of course, some children do opt for the Internet as their first choice for health information (12% of kids surveyed). Let your child know that just because a site advertises itself as a health site, doesn't necessarily mean that the information on it is accurate. To help ensure that your child is using the very best health resources the Internet has to offer, bookmark your favorite Web addresses (this site, for example, and those sites listed under the Additional Resources tab on this article) to give your child easy access to correct, age-appropriate information.

2. Make sure your child understands the health information he or she finds or hears.

Even when the information is delivered by a reliable health professional, it isn't always easy to understand. About 37% of the kids surveyed (more younger children than older), say health information is "very easy to understand." Another 41% say it's "sort of easy to understand." And about 22% say it's "sort of hard" or "very hard to understand."