Author Identifier
Ruth Wallace: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5392-5195
Amelia Ruscoe: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8315-5803
Leesa Costello: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1139-3228
Gillian Kirk: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6386-9016
Ros Sambell: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8799-3441
Amanda Devine: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6978-6249
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Health Promotion International
Volume
40
Issue
3
PubMed ID
40498771
Publisher
Oxford Academic
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences / Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute / School of Education
RAS ID
82148
Funders
Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute, School of Medical & Health Science, Edith Cowan University / Channel 7 Telethon Trust 2021
Abstract
Building health literacy in early childhood is essential for lifelong health and underpins children's learning and developmental trajectories. This study assessed the efficacy of the Little Aussie Bugs books, designed to enhance health literacy in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centres. The books, featuring inclusive characters and key health literacy catchphrases, were distributed to >1200 early learning settings Australia-wide. Exploratory research design used online surveys (n = 110) and in-depth interviews with ECEC teacher participants (n = 8) to determine the compatibility of the books with ECEC contexts and practices to facilitate the delivery of health literacy education. The findings were conceptualized through a socioecological lens, using the process, person, and context over time model. Participants reported high overall satisfaction with the books, alongside increased confidence to deliver health literacy messages. Key advantages included the dialogic nature of the books, children's familiarity with catchphrases and characters, and children's understanding of otherwise abstract concepts, such as 'invisible germs'. However, these benefits were limited for less experienced educators who may not have understood the dialogic nature of the books, subsequently not utilizing them to their full capacity. These limitations indicate the need for further support to accompany the resources and maximize their impact. Further research is planned to inform the design of effective and appropriate professional learning to complement the resources, supporting educators to optimize their use of the books and promoting sustained delivery of health literacy messaging in ECEC settings.
DOI
10.1093/heapro/daaf053
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Wallace, R., Ruscoe, A., Costello, L., Kirk, G., Sambell, R., & Devine, A. (2025). Little Aussie Bugs: Piloting health literacy educational resources at Early Childhood Education and Care. Health Promotion International, 40(3), daaf053. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaf053