While most health literacy programs in the United States target adolescents, there is speculation that adolescence is too late to positively influence health-related behavior (Nash et al., 2021). In their study of five- to 12-year-olds in Uganda, Nsangi and colleagues suggest that health literacy intervention is best done in early years, so that it is able to reach the broadest segment of the population before children leave the education system and before young people develop incorrect beliefs, attitudes, and behavior related to health (2017). This strategy finds easy relevance in the United States. These studies underscore the value of a partnership between physicians and educators in early childhood and elementary education—as early as possible to ensure children and communities thrive in mind and body. Head Start, Reach Out and Read, and TipsByText are just some examples of programs that underscore the powerful impact early literacy intervention can have on academic, social, physical, and mental health, but they cannot address the nationwide literacy crisis alone. The work is to include reading and literacy in all conversations—public and private—around child health, and to ensure that young people are given the tools they need to advocate for their physical and mental health as they grow. This paper is intended as a first step in providing a resource to do just that.
READING FOR LIFE: THE IMPACT OF YOUTH LITERACY ON HEALTH OUTCOMES 15
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