Role of parental literacy in correct moisturizer application for AD

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Created On: 22/04/2026

Management of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children relies not only on medical treatment but also on parental understanding of the disease.

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Key take away

Higher maternal health literacy significantly improves correct moisturizer use in children with atopic dermatitis, but does not correlate with overall disease knowledge.

Background

Management of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children relies not only on medical treatment but also on parental understanding of the disease. Inadequate health literacy (HL) can result in suboptimal use of essential interventions, including moisturizers, affecting symptom control. This study sought to assess maternal HL and determine its influence on children’s AD severity, parental knowledge of atopic eczema, and effective use of moisturizers.

Method

This cross-sectional, face-to-face survey included 100 mothers of children aged ≤2 years detected with AD on the basis of history, clinical examination, and laboratory evaluation. Structured questionnaires were used to collect sociodemographic data, assess maternal HL via the health literacy scale-short form, and evaluate knowledge of AD, daily care routines, and correct moisturizer use. Correlation analyses were conducted to investigate the relationships between HL, maternal education, age, disease knowledge, and moisturizer application.

Result

The study revealed key relationships between maternal HL, AD knowledge, and correct moisturizer use:

The median HL score was 33.3.
The median AD knowledge score was 7.
The median correct moisturizer use score was 4.

Correlation analyses showed:

Maternal education was positively correlated with HL (r = 0.21, p = 0.036), indicating that higher education levels were associated with HL.
Maternal age was negatively correlated with HL (r = -0.26, p = 0.009), suggesting that younger mothers had higher literacy.
No prominent correlation was observed between HL and AD knowledge (p = 0.89).
HL was positively correlated with correct moisturizer use (r = 0.24, p = 0.018), showing that higher literacy was linked to more effective moisturizer application.

Conclusion

Limited maternal HL hindered proper understanding and use of moisturizers, a cornerstone of AD management. Enhancing parental literacy improved adherence to skincare routines and optimized therapeutic outcomes in children with AD.