The relationship between health literacy and satisfaction with medical care in parents of children with chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

Introduction: Parents' satisfaction with pediatric care is often measured for single encounters, although families managing chronic conditions accumulate experiences across multiple contacts and settings. We aimed to identify predictors of parents' cumulative satisfaction with prior pediatric care, focusing on health literacy, e-health literacy, Internet and social media use, and perceived stress, while accounting for sociodemographic and illness-related factors. Methods: A cross-sectional paper-and-pencil survey was administered to parents of children treated for chronic gastrointestinal diseases in five university gastroenterology centers in Poland. Parental satisfaction was measured with a study-specific, Results: Participants were predominantly mothers (82.4%), mean age was 42.0 years (SD = 5.8), and 66.0% cared for a child with inflammatory bowel disease. Mean satisfaction was high (4.9, SD = 0.81). In regression, explained variance increased from Conclusions: Cumulative parental satisfaction was significantly associated with the level of perceived stress and health literacy, whereas illness and service-use markers and broad indicators of digital engagement showed limited incremental value after adjustment.