Critical thinking about health and treatments in the United States: a cross-sectional assessment of parents and young adults

Background: There is an urgent need to study and increase the public’s ability to think critically about health and treatments. Unfortunately, we do not currently have a clear, in-depth understanding of critical thinking about health in the United States, especially its rates among parents and young adults, two particularly important groups. This study assessed and characterized critical thinking about health, including behavioral health, with U.S. parents and young adults. We also explored whether critical thinking about health varied as a function of sociodemographic determinants.Methods: Parents (N=142) and young adults (N=145) in the U.S. completed an online test of critical thinking about health, and answered questions about their background.Results: Both parents and young adults in the U.S. struggled to think critically about health and treatments based on various science literacy and evidence-based practice principles. They struggled most with the concept, “Relative effects of treatments alone can be misleading.” Parents with higher educational attainment had lower critical thinking about health, and young adults who reported a liberal political affiliation had higher critical thinking scores. Both parents and young adults with higher household income had higher critical thinking about health.Conclusions: This investigation demonstrates a need to increase critical thinking about health among U.S. parents and young adults so they can be empowered to make informed health choices.