Constructing models of alcohol and sexual health literacy in adolescence.

Abstract

In the UK, research has highlighted the need for improved education in alcohol and sexual health in the adolescent population. Consequently, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education were made compulsory in 2019. However, preceding research highlighted that school-based alcohol and sexual health education was ill-suited to building associated health skills and competencies. Health literacy as a concept aims to address these issues by providing a framework within which health related competencies and outcomes can be developed. Consequently, the aim of this research was to develop models of alcohol and sexual health literacy in adolescents and further interrogate the use of such models in education, exploring the barriers to developing alcohol and sexual health literacy in adolescents though formal education. A pragmatic, mixed methods approach was utilised to explore the research questions. The study contributed to the field of research by creating robust, theory-based models of alcohol and sexual health literacy and discovering the following: • Current measures of adolescent health literacy are poorly designed, often only accounting for functional health literacy. • There are many barriers that need to be overcome to effectively deliver alcohol and sexual health education in schools, specifically, that competencies in alcohol and sexual health are perceived as challenging to teach and measure within a school setting. • Internationally, curriculum guidelines tend to focus on the risks associated with alcohol and sexual health and fall short in building competencies over knowledge and in aiding educators with instruction. • Introduction of compulsory Relationships and Sexual Health Education and Health Education in the UK will have little significant impact if it is not supported with more training and support for educators.
These findings and the models produced have significant connotations for the design and delivery of alcohol and sexual health education in schools.

More information

Identifiers

ORCID for Marcus Grace: orcid.org/0000-0002-1949-1765

Catalogue record

Export record