Identifying health literacy solutions for pregnant women and mothers in Tasmania: a codesign study

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy and early motherhood offer a crucial period for health literacy development and improve the health of women and future generations. interventions to support health literacy development during these critical periods are scarce. existing interventions are rarely informed by health literacy measurement and lack codesign principles. Aims: to codesign health literacy solutions for pregnant women and mothers in tasmania, australia with stakeholders working in maternal and child health services across tasmania; and to develop a set of recommendations to guide the implementation of identified solutions in the tasmanian context. Methods: Qualitative codesign workshops were conducted online (two rounds of workshops distributed across seven occasions). stakeholders across tasmania were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were analysed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: 33 solutions across six themes were generated based on ideas grounded in local knowledge and expertise. the solutions were diverse and most targeted at policy and practitioner levels. Four recommendations with 20 supporting ideas were generated to guide the implementation of the codesigned solutions in tasmania. Discussion: the solutions encourage policymakers to carefully consider the health literacy needs of pregnant women and mothers and support effective engagement of relevant stakeholders in planning and designing fit-for-purpose health literacy solutions.