Health Literacy in Parents of Children with Allergic Rhinitis, Kanchanabhisek Medical Center, Mahidol University

Abstract

The objectives of this study were 1) to examine health literacy in parents of children with allergic rhinitis, 2) to study parental behavior in caring for children with allergic rhinitis, and 3) to study relationship between personal factors including gender, age, occupation, education level, income, and health literacy factor with parental behavior in caring for children with allergic rhinitis, Kanchanabhisek Medical Center, Mahidol University. The health literacy theory, and the behavior concept were applied for a conceptual framework of the study. The study methodology was quantitative research. The study population was 1,702 parents of children with allergic rhinitis who brought their children for treatment at Kanchanabhisek Medical Center, Mahidol University, between May 2024 and October 2024. The sample size of 325 parents of children with allergic rhinitis was calculated using Taro Yamane’s formula, and selected by simple random sampling. The study instrument was a questionnaire. The data were analyzed by frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, chi-square, Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, and Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient.
The study results revealed that 1) health literacy in parents of children with allergic rhinitis was at a high level. 2) Parental behavior in caring for children with allergic rhinitis was at a high level. 3) The sample group's age and occupation showed the lowest relationship level with parental behavior in caring for children with allergic rhinitis at a statistically significant level of 05. The income and education level showed a low level relationship with parental behavior in caring for children with allergic rhinitis at a statistically significant level .01, health literacy factor in knowledge and understanding showed a high positive level relationship with parental behavior in caring for children with allergic rhinitis at a statistically significant level. 01, health literacy factor in access to information, the communication to promoting prevention of allergic rhinitis in children, media literacy to promoting prevention of Allergic rhinitis in children, decision-making to promoting prevention of allergic rhinitis in children showed a highest positive level relationship with parental behavior in caring for children with allergic rhinitis at a statistically significant level of. 01. The gender showed no relationship with parental behavior in caring for children with allergic rhinitis