Health literacy and children: introduction.

In the setting of increased interest in health literacy, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) convened a national conference on health literacy and pediatrics in Washington, DC, on November 8, 2008: “A Health-Literate America: Where Do Children Fit In?” The purpose of the conference was to examine health literacy related issues, problems, and opportunities with reference to children and children’s health. Most health literacy research and interventions have focused on adult patients and diagnoses, and this gathering—which brought together pediatricians, health literacy researchers, educators, health systems researchers and policy makers, and adult learners—was designed to address complex questions related to where children fit in a national health literacy agenda.