Children’s Health Literacy in Iran: An Overview

Childhood provides a critical opportunity for the development of healthy behaviours and the prevention of chronic diseases. Children with higher levels of health literacy are more likely to make informed health decisions. In Iran, health literacy has been included in national policies, but most interventions and research have focused on adults. As schools are the primary sites of education for children and access to education is free for most children in Iran, promoting health education in schools could help address health inequalities. Thus, schools can serve as a valuable platform for delivering health-related education. It appears that school-based educational interventions focused on health literacy and a healthy lifestyle are effective ways to enhance children’s health literacy.