Health LiteracyHEALTH-KIDSNCT07702591
Theory-Based School Program to Improve Health Literacy Among Primary School Children
A study testing Theory-Based School Health Literacy Program in people with Health Literacy, run by Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Health literacy is a key determinant of children's health and well-being, enabling them to access, understand, evaluate, and use health information to make informed health-related decisions. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 9 to 11 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Health Literacy
- What is being tested?
- Theory-Based School Health Literacy Program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 128 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 2 Apr 2026to 30 May 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 9 to 11 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Children aged 9-10 years.
- Enrolled in the third or fourth grade of a participating public primary school.
- Able to understand and complete the study questionnaires.
- Written informed consent obtained from a parent or legal guardian.
- Child provided verbal assent to participate.
Who cannot join
- Participation in a structured health literacy education program with similar content within the previous 6 months.
- Inability to participate in the intervention sessions because of prolonged absence from school.
- Attendance at <80% of the intervention sessions.
- Withdrawal of parental consent or child assent at any time during the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Public Primary School, Burdur, Türkiye
Burdur, Turkey, 15030
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of a Theory-Based School Program to Improve Health Literacy Among Children Aged 9-10 Years: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Health literacy is a key determinant of children's health and well-being, enabling them to access, understand, evaluate, and use health information to make informed health-related decisions. Middle childhood represents a critical developmental period for strengthening these competencies; however, evidence regarding theory-based school interventions designed to improve health literacy in this age group remains limited.
This cluster randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a six-week, theory-based school health literacy program developed for children aged 9-10 years. The intervention was designed by integrating Nutbeam's Health Literacy Model and Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development and incorporates interactive, child-centered educational strategies, including educational games, storytelling, role-playing, problem-solving activities, and classroom discussions. Third- and fourth-grade students attending public primary schools in Burdur, Türkiye, were randomly assigned at the school level to either the intervention or control group. Health literacy outcomes are assessed using the Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire for Children-Turkish Version (HLS-Child-Q15-TR) before and after the intervention. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of theory-based school health literacy interventions and to inform future school health promotion programs.
Read the detailed description
Health literacy is recognized as a fundamental determinant of lifelong health and well-being. Childhood represents a critical period for the development of health literacy competencies because children begin to acquire the cognitive, social, and behavioral skills necessary to access, understand, evaluate, and apply health information in everyday life. Despite growing international interest in promoting health literacy among children, evidence regarding theoretically informed school-based interventions remains limited.
This study evaluates a theory-based school health literacy intervention developed for primary school children aged 9-10 years. The intervention was designed by integrating Nutbeam's Health Literacy Model, which conceptualizes health literacy as functional, interactive, and critical competencies, with Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development, emphasizing learning strategies appropriate for children in the concrete operational stage. The program incorporates child-centered educational approaches, including educational games, storytelling, role-playing, problem-solving activities, visual materials, classroom discussions, and real-life scenarios to facilitate active learning and the application of health information.
The intervention consists of six weekly classroom sessions delivered over a six-week period. The effectiveness of the program is evaluated using a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in public primary schools in Burdur, Türkiye. Health literacy is assessed before and after the intervention using the Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire for Children-Turkish Version (HLS-Child-Q15-TR). The findings are expected to contribute to the evidence base for theory-based school health literacy interventions and support the development of effective school health promotion programs for children.
- Conditions
- Health Literacy
- Being tested
- Theory-Based School Health Literacy Program
- Keywords
- Health literacy, Nutbeam model, Piaget theory, Children, Health education
- Medical subject headings
- Health Education
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Theory-Based School Health Literacy ProgramBehavioural
Also called Primary School Health Literacy Program (PS-HLP)
A six-week classroom-based educational intervention designed to improve health literacy among children aged 9-10 years. The program was developed based on Nutbeam's Health Literacy Model and Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development and consisted of six weekly 40-minute sessions using educational games, storytelling, role-playing, problem-solving activities, classroom discussions, visual materials, and real-life scenarios to strengthen functional, interactive, and critical health literacy.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Theory-Based Health Literacy Program | Experimental | Participants received a six-week theory-based school health literacy intervention delivered in the classroom once weekly (40 minutes per session). The program was developed based on Nutbeam's Health Literacy Model and Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development and incorporated interactive educational strategies, including educational games, storytelling, role-playing, group discussions, problem-solving activities, visual materials, and real-life scenarios to improve children's health literacy. Receives: Behavioral: Theory-Based School Health Literacy Program |
| Standard School Curriculum | No intervention | Participants continued to receive the standard school curriculum without any additional health literacy intervention during the study period. Following completion of the post-intervention assessments, students in the control group were offered the same health literacy program in accordance with ethical principles. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Health literacy
Children's health literacy will be assessed using the Turkish version of the Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire for Children (HLS-Child-Q15-TR). The scale consists of 15 items across three domains: health care, disease prevention, and health promotion. Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater difficulty in dealing with health-related information. Scores may be transformed so that higher transformed scores indicate higher health literacy, depending on the scoring procedure used.
Measured: Baseline and one week after completion of the 6-week intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Jul 2026
- Study start2 Apr 2026
- Primary completion30 May 2026
- Study completion30 May 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Health LiteracyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Public primary schools were randomized at the school (cluster) level to either the intervention or control group. Third- and fourth-grade classrooms were randomly selected within each school. Students in the intervention group received a six-week theory-based school health literacy program, while those in the control group continued with the standard school curriculum during the study period. Outcome assessments were conducted at baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 128 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ayse Sezer Balci, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07702591
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MAKU-HL-2026-001
- Acronym
- HEALTH-KIDS
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 14 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available because they contain potentially identifiable information from child participants but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request and with permission from the relevant ethics committee.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of a Theory-Based School Program to Improve Health Literacy Among Children Aged 9-10 Years: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07702591
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HEALTH-KIDS / MAKU-HL-2026-001
- Conditions
- Health Literacy
- Keywords
- Health literacy, Nutbeam model, Piaget theory, Children, Health education
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 128 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 2 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 May 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 May 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 14 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Health literacy is a key determinant of children's health and well-being, enabling them to access, understand, evaluate, and use health information to make informed health-related decisions. Middle childhood represents a critical developmental period for strengthening these competencies; however, evidence regarding theory-based school interventions designed to improve health literacy in this age group remains limited.
This cluster randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a six-week, theory-based school health literacy program developed for children aged 9-10 years. The intervention was designed by integrating Nutbeam's Health Literacy Model and Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development and incorporates interactive, child-centered educational strategies, including educational games, storytelling, role-playing, problem-solving activities, and classroom discussions. Third- and fourth-grade students attending public primary schools in Burdur, Türkiye, were randomly assigned at the school level to either the intervention or control group. Health literacy outcomes are assessed using the Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire for Children-Turkish Version (HLS-Child-Q15-TR) before and after the intervention. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of theory-based school health literacy interventions and to inform future school health promotion programs.
Detailed description
Health literacy is recognized as a fundamental determinant of lifelong health and well-being. Childhood represents a critical period for the development of health literacy competencies because children begin to acquire the cognitive, social, and behavioral skills necessary to access, understand, evaluate, and apply health information in everyday life. Despite growing international interest in promoting health literacy among children, evidence regarding theoretically informed school-based interventions remains limited.
This study evaluates a theory-based school health literacy intervention developed for primary school children aged 9-10 years. The intervention was designed by integrating Nutbeam's Health Literacy Model, which conceptualizes health literacy as functional, interactive, and critical competencies, with Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development, emphasizing learning strategies appropriate for children in the concrete operational stage. The program incorporates child-centered educational approaches, including educational games, storytelling, role-playing, problem-solving activities, visual materials, classroom discussions, and real-life scenarios to facilitate active learning and the application of health information.
The intervention consists of six weekly classroom sessions delivered over a six-week period. The effectiveness of the program is evaluated using a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in public primary schools in Burdur, Türkiye. Health literacy is assessed before and after the intervention using the Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire for Children-Turkish Version (HLS-Child-Q15-TR). The findings are expected to contribute to the evidence base for theory-based school health literacy interventions and support the development of effective school health promotion programs for children.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Public primary schools were randomized at the school (cluster) level to either the intervention or control group. Third- and fourth-grade classrooms were randomly selected within each school. Students in the intervention group received a six-week theory-based school health literacy program, while those in the control group continued with the standard school curriculum during the study period. Outcome assessments were conducted at baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Theory-Based Health Literacy Program | Experimental | Behavioral: Theory-Based School Health Literacy ProgramParticipants received a six-week theory-based school health literacy intervention delivered in the classroom once weekly (40 minutes per session). The program was developed based on Nutbeam's Health Literacy Model and Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development and incorporated interactive educational strategies, including educational games, storytelling, role-playing, group discussions, problem-solving activities, visual materials, and real-life scenarios to improve children's health literacy. |
| Standard School Curriculum | No intervention | –Participants continued to receive the standard school curriculum without any additional health literacy intervention during the study period. Following completion of the post-intervention assessments, students in the control group were offered the same health literacy program in accordance with ethical principles. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 9 to 11 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Children aged 9-10 years.
- Enrolled in the third or fourth grade of a participating public primary school.
- Able to understand and complete the study questionnaires.
- Written informed consent obtained from a parent or legal guardian.
- Child provided verbal assent to participate.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Participation in a structured health literacy education program with similar content within the previous 6 months.
- Inability to participate in the intervention sessions because of prolonged absence from school.
- Attendance at <80% of the intervention sessions.
- Withdrawal of parental consent or child assent at any time during the study.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Theory-Based School Health Literacy ProgramAlso: Primary School Health Literacy Program (PS-HLP)A six-week classroom-based educational intervention designed to improve health literacy among children aged 9-10 years. The program was developed based on Nutbeam's Health Literacy Model and Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development and consisted of six weekly 40-minute sessions using educational games, storytelling, role-playing, problem-solving activities, classroom discussions, visual materials, and real-life scenarios to strengthen functional, interactive, and critical health literacy. | Behavioural | Theory-Based Health Literacy Program |
Primary outcome
Health literacy
Time frame: Baseline and one week after completion of the 6-week intervention
Children's health literacy will be assessed using the Turkish version of the Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire for Children (HLS-Child-Q15-TR). The scale consists of 15 items across three domains: health care, disease prevention, and health promotion. Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater difficulty in dealing with health-related information. Scores may be transformed so that higher transformed scores indicate higher health literacy, depending on the scoring procedure used.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available because they contain potentially identifiable information from child participants but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request and with permission from the relevant ethics committee.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Theory-Based School Health Literacy Program in people with Health Literacy, run by Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Health literacy (time frame: Baseline and one week after completion of the 6-week intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Jul 2026.