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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV0742

Advancing health equity through health literacy initiatives in educational institutions: a scoping review

ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY THROUGH HEALTH LITERACY INTERVENTIONS IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: A SCOPING REVIEW

Curriculum-based, digital, peer-led, and whole-school health literacy initiatives implemented in educational institutions all reported positive health literacy-related outcomes.

The study aimed to examine how strategies that improve health literacy within school organizations can support health equity. The study was a scoping review conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR; the ERIC, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, and ProQuest Education databases were searched, and English-language publications from the past 12 years (2013 to 2025) were included. The database search identified 432 records; after 32 duplicates were removed, 400 records were screened, 286 were deemed irrelevant, and 114 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Of these, 77 were excluded (50 because they did not involve a health literacy strategy or intervention, 10 because they did not include a health literacy outcome, 7 because of an ineligible study design, 6 because they were review articles, 3 because of an ineligible population, and 1 because it was a comparative study), leaving 37 studies included in the review. Of the 37 included studies, 28 (76%) were published between 2020 and 2025, 29 targeted students from primary through secondary education, and 8 targeted teachers, school counselors, school staff, or university students; 100% of the studies reported positive health literacy-related outcomes. Intervention types were distributed as follows: individual-level (student-focused), 20 (54%); organizational-level (staff and professional development), 8 (22%); whole-school approaches, 4 (11%); multilevel approaches, 3 (8%); and community- or partnership-based approaches, 2 (5%). Some studies included more than one intervention level. The topics addressed were mental health literacy, 24 (65%); oral health literacy, 4 (11%); infectious disease literacy, 3 (8%); pain literacy, 2 (5%); emergency preparedness, 2 (5%); and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) literacy, 2 (5%). Cross-cutting themes included increased knowledge and skills, increased self-efficacy and confidence, positive changes in behavior and attitudes, improved health outcomes and well-being, equity and inclusion as core goals, and sustainability through policy and culture. The authors recommend embedding health literacy in curricula and school policies, investing in professional development for educators, and leveraging digital and peer-led approaches to expand access.

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