[Individual teacher's health literacy and their safety in dealing with chronically ill pupils and emergencies].

BACKGROUND

Health literacy (HL) is regarded as a key determinant in health promotion. The support of HL should begin as early as possible to prevent later health problems. In the school setting, teachers play an important role. Due to all-day school and inclusion efforts, teachers are increasingly faced with the health problems of pupils. At the same time, many teachers show their own significant health problems, often due to an enormous workload.

OBJECTIVES

This study assesses the level of the individual teacher's HL and examines possible relationships between the individual HL of teachers and their level of uncertainty in dealing with chronically ill pupils.

METHODS

A secondary data analysis of a quantitative survey of n = 420 teachers was conducted. A self-assessment of the teacher's HL level was done using HLS-EU-Q16. Furthermore, correlation analyses between the HL and the level of insecurity of teachers in dealing with selected health problems were made.

RESULTS

More than half of the teachers showed a limited level of HL and an association between low level of HL and uncertainty in dealing with chronically ill pupils were found. In particular, mental health issues caused difficulties among the teachers.

DISCUSSION: There is a large gap between complex health-related demands on the teachers and their required health literacy as well as sovereignty in dealing with chronic and mental impairments in the school setting. These deficits will influence the children's HL and the health development of adolescents.