Co-design for Health Literacy in Irish Schools

Health literacy is not a widely understood concept in Ireland, and it has not featured prominently in national policies or frameworks across health, education or community sectors. Work to date has been limited to adult populations, patient engagement and disease management. There is an emerging appreciation of the value of, and evidence for, supporting health literacy co-design with children and young people, primarily driven by the Irish Heart Foundation’s (IHF’s) co-designed school programmes in disadvantaged areas. This work is led by the voices of pupils, their families, schools and communities. Key success factors for co-design with children and young people include tailoring to suit learning styles, evaluating each step and using vignettes to remove stigma from sensitive issues. It provides an invaluable insight into how pupils’ health literacy skills can be developed at an individual and organizational level, through the life-course and integrated across sectors. The learnings from this work should be applicable to other settings and jurisdictions where children and young people are found and will be of particular interest to those working with marginalised groups or those working to reduce inequalities in health.