ABSTRACT
Los cambios del nuevo Código Civil y Comercial de la Argentina impulsa el desarrollo de la autonomía en niños y adolescentes. En este trabajo, estructuramos un modelo que describe la autonomía en la atención de la salud infantil. Hicimos un análisis bibliográfico enfocado en I) concepto de autonomía relacionado con el valor absoluto del individuo autónomo y II) el proceso de desarrollo de toma idónea de decisiones en función de la edad. Resumimos nuestros hallazgos mediante el desarrollo de un modelo conceptual en el niño, el pediatra y los padres. La relación pediatra-niño se fundamenta en formas de orientación y cooperación con diversos niveles de actividad y pasividad. La autoridad de los padres influye sobre el grado de autonomía en función del nivel de respeto e igualdad moral del niño. Al aplicar el modelo para facilitar el diálogo entre pediatras, niños, padres y otros, se considerarán las circunstancias contextuales, existenciales, conceptuales y socio-éticas.
The changes initiated by the new National Civil and Commercial Code in Argentina underline the pediatric task to empower children's and adolescents' developing autonomy. In this paper, we have framed a model describing autonomy in child healthcare. We carried out a literature review focusing on i) the concept of autonomy referring to the absolute value of the autonomous individual, and ii) the age-driven process of competent decisionmaking development. We summarized our findings developing a conceptual model that includes the child, the pediatrician and the parents. The pediatrician-child relationship is based on different forms of guidance and cooperation, resulting in varying levels of activity and passivity. Parental authority influences the extent of autonomy, based on the level of respect of the child's moral equality. Contextual, existential, conceptual, and social-ethical conditions shall be considered when applying the model to facilitate dialogue between pediatricians, children, parents and other actors.
Subject(s)
Humans , Child , Adolescent , Pediatrics , Child Health , Adolescent , Personal AutonomyABSTRACT
Aims: Health literacy among older people has received little attention in transitional countries of Southeast Europe. Our aim was to assess the level and socioeconomic correlates of health literacy among older people in Kosovo, a post-war country in the Western Balkans. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Kosovo, between January-March 2011. Methods: This nationwide survey, conducted in Kosovo in 2011, included 1753 individuals aged ≥65 years (886 men, 867 women; mean age 73.4±6.3 years; response rate: 77%). Participants were asked to assess, on a scale from 1 to 5, their level of difficulty with regard to access, understanding, appraisal, and application of health information. Subscale scores and an overall health literacy score were calculated for each participant. Information on socioeconomic characteristics was also collected. Results: Subscale scores of health literacy were strongly correlated with each-other (range of Spearman’s rho: 0.8-0.9). Mean values of the overall health literacy scores were significantly higher in men, urban residents, married individuals, the highly educated, and the better off participants. Conclusions: This may be the first report from the Western Balkans addressing health literacy in a population-based sample. Future studies in Kosovo and other settings in the region should provide further insight into the magnitude and socioeconomic determinants of health literacy which is an under-researched topic in countries of Southeast Europe.