The conceptualization and development of critical health literacy in children: a scoping review.

This scoping review examines how critical health literacy (critical HL)—defined as the ability to critically appraise health information and engage in social or political action on health determinants—is conceptualized and developed in children aged 7 to 11 years (middle childhood). The review found that schools are the primary setting for critical HL development, though they often emphasize cognitive skills over the action-oriented dimensions of critical HL due to structural and curricular constraints. The literature highlights critical HL as a context-specific, socially situated practice linked to children’s everyday experiences and calls for further research on supportive environments beyond schools, including multi-setting approaches, to better foster children’s critical HL skills. Overall, the review identifies gaps in measurement tools, intervention strategies, and settings that can effectively promote critical HL in this age group.