The Impact of Education and Health Literacy on Neonatal and Family Well-Being.

Abstract

Education access and quality are the second of five domains of determinants of health influencing the well-being of families and communities. In this column, the impacts of educational attainment and health literacy on health and well-being will be described. There is an increased need for adequate health literacy during pregnancy and parenting, including when infants require NICU care and following their discharge into the early years and beyond. Creating environments where universal precautions for health literacy and plain language communication are used will improve health outcomes for infants and parenting confidence. NICU nurses hold an essential role in creating these environments and tailoring education to parent needs.