Finding, understanding, evaluating, and applying health information. The new project "Health Literate Health Region Bavaria plus " (HeLitRegio-Bavaria) of the Assistant Professorship of Health Literacy aims to develop a concept for organizational health literacy for daycare facilities for children. The project is being carried out under the direction of Prof. Dr. Orkan Okan in cooperation with the office of the health region plus district of Neu-Ulm. The Bavarian State Ministry of Health, Care and Prevention is also funding the project.
"With the HeLitRegio-Bavaria project, the TUM team for health literacy research is starting in early childhood and focusing on an entire setting, including educational and health professionals. The aim is to optimize structures and framework conditions for laying the foundations for health literacy later in life," says Prof. Okan, explaining the project's approach.
Building on the already completed HeLit-Schools project, which represents a holistic organizational approach in the school setting, the focus is now on the living environment of daycare centers and the daycare center setting. HeLitRegio-Bavaria also has a regional focus on the Bavarian district of Neu-Ulm.
The two Research Associates Cara Krudewig and Sophie Rauschmayr are working with an expert advisory board to design an orientation guide that defines standards and indicators for health-competent daycare centres: "HeLitRegio-Bavaria is intended to be practice-oriented and participatory. The daycare centre managers and educational staff should provide input and actively participate in the implementation," explains Krudewig. "The guidelines are easy for daycare centers to prepare and use as a guide to organizational health literacy. This allows the daycare centers to understand what has already been implemented and where improvements can still be made," adds Rauschmayr.
To create a guideline that is as practical as possible, specialists from daycare centers, education and regional administration will take part in two workshops. In addition, two online surveys will be conducted with all educational staff, the (deputy) directors and the daycare center teachers. In the first step, the general health literacy of the daycare center staff and the participants will be surveyed. In the second step, the organizational health literacy of the daycare centers will also be surveyed.
"The employees should get a feeling for what health literacy is and what they can contribute to it as professionals," says Krudewig, describing the approach. "Daycare centers are an important environment for different groups: So many people can be reached - employees, parents and of course children. The concept is intended to provide guidance to determine where we stand, where there is still a need for action, and where we can develop further," says Rauschmayr.
The guide based on the "health-competent school" concept will identify differentiated guiding principles. For example, health information should be freely available and communicated to the target groups in understandable language. However, wishes, interests and needs should also be taken into account. After successful realization and implementation, the concept will not only be applied to the Neu-Ulm region. It will also be prepared as a transfer concept for other Bavarian health regions plus.
To the homepage of the Assistant Professorship of Health Literacy
To the homepage of the "HeLitRegio-Bavaria" project
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Orkan Okan
Assistant Professorship of Health Literacy
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 089 289 24986
e-mail: Orkan.Okan(at)tum.de / info.healthliteracy(at)tum.de
Cara Krudewig
Assistant Professorship of Health Literacy
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 089 289 24991
e-mail: cara.krudewig(at)tum.de
Sophie Rauschmayr
Assistant Professorship of Health Literacy
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 089 289 24991
e-mail: sophie.rauschmayr(at)tum.de
Text: Bastian Daneyko
Photos: private