The presentation of research on health literacy among 5th and 6th Grade Students, together with participation in a business meeting of the International Epidemiological Association and national epidemiology societies, brought Sara Simões Dias, PhD, researcher, and Maria João Batalha, PhD fellow, to the European Congress of Epidemiology, held at Queen Mary University of London from 9 to 11 September.

“Exploring Factors Associated with Health Literacy Among School-Aged Children: Insights from 5th and 6th Grade Students” was presented by Maria João Batalha and is part of her ATIVA+Saúde PhD project.

The study aimed to characterise health literacy levels and identify associated factors among 5th- and 6th-grade students, while also exploring the potential role of health literacy in the relationship between socioeconomic factors and health behaviours. Among the 549 children from the municipality of Leiria included in the study, results showed that most had adequate levels of health literacy. However, some areas of vulnerability were identified, particularly in knowledge and communication. Boys and children who did not participate in extracurricular physical activity were also less likely to have adequate health literacy.

The study further highlighted the potential links between socioeconomic factors and children’s health behaviours, contributing to a better understanding of the factors that shape health literacy during childhood.

Sara Simões Dias, also a researcher on the ATIVA+Saúde project, was invited to participate in the pre-congress working meeting of the International Epidemiological Association and national epidemiology societies, held on 8 September. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the role of epidemiology in Europe and foster the development and sharing of good practices in the field.