Explaining variance in health literacy among people with type 2 diabetes: the association between health literacy and health behaviour and empowerment

Abstract

Background: To reflect the health literacy (HL) skills needed for managing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in everyday life, HL in people with T2DM should be measured from a broader perspective than basic skills, such as proficiency in reading and writing. The HLS-Q12, based on the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47), assesses four cognitive domains across three health domains. International studies on people with T2DM show inconsistent results regarding the association between HL and general health and the association between HL and glycaemic control. Moreover, knowledge is needed related to the link between HL and empowerment for those with T2DM. The aims of this study were to examine the association between i) HL and general health and diabetes outcomes, ii) HL and health behaviours and iii) HL and empowerment in people with T2DM. Methods: During March and April 2015, 388 adults with T2DM responded to a paper-and-pencil self-administered questionnaire. A sequential multiple regression analysis was applied to explore the association between HL, as measured by the HLS-Q12, and health conditions, HbA1c, health behaviours and empowerment. Results: For people with T2DM, higher levels of HL were associated with higher levels of education, better overall health conditions and higher self-perceived empowerment. No empirical evidence strengthening either the link between HL and glycaemic control or the link between HL and health behaviours was found. Conclusions: The independent variables education level, overall health condition and empowerment explained about one-third of the total observed variance in HL.

Study on the Status of Health Literacy and its Relationship with Chronic Diseases in Poor Areas

“…Having su cient HL might be more important than ever before because people are expected to participate in health decisions and to take responsibility for their own health despite more complicated health problems and the need to navigate a more complex health system [21][22][23] . In this survey, only 4.15% (31.95 ± 11.81 points on average) of the residents in poor counties achieved su cient health literacy.…”

Papel do letramento em saúde nos desfechos clínicos de idosos: uma revisão de escopo

“…Todos os 19 estudos apresentados nesta revisão de escopo foram publicados entre o ano de 2016 (Santos & Portela, 2016;Punte-Maestu et al 2016;Wannasirikul, Termsirikulchai, Sujirarat, Benjakul & Tanasugarn, 2016;Cox et al 2016) e o ano de 2020 (Souza, Farfel, Jaluul, Queiroz & Nery, 2020;Do et al 2020;Finbraten et al 2020). Dos trabalhos selecionados, segundo seus tipos de estudo, foram identificados nove coortes (Punte-Maestu et al 2016;Fabbri et al 2018;León-González et al 2017;Yu, Wilson, Han et al 2017;Shi et al 2017;Lamar et al 2018;Cox et al 2016;Wilson, Yu James, Bennett & Boyle, 2017;Yu, Wilson, Schneider, Bennett & Boyle, 2017), um ecológico (Santos & Portella, 2016) e nove estudos transversais (Costa, Costa, Nakano, Apolinário & Santana, 2019;Souza et al 2020;Como, 2018 González, Gonzáles-Pérez, Gestal-Otero & Díaz-Grávalos, 2018;Murtaugh et al 2017;Do et al, 2020;Finbraten et al 2020;Liu, Xue, Xue & Hou, 2018;Wannasirikul et al 2016). Todos os trabalhos tinham como objetivo identificar a relação do letramento em saúde com algum desfecho clínico investigado, conforme informações apresentadas no Quadro 1.…”

Factors Affecting the health literacy Status of Patients with type 2 Diabetes through Demographic Variables: A Case Study from Iran

“…Communicative health literacy determines an advanced level of individuals' literacy skills, allowing people to extract information and meaning derived from the various communication channels by putting them into practice to change the conditions. Critical health literacy refers to highly advanced skills, which help analyzing information to use knowledge to gain more control over events of individuals' lives and day-to-day circumstances [4,5].…”

“…They have emphasized personal responsibility to maintain and promote health literacy and self-management of chronic diseases and diabetes type 2,4 and 5 [6,7]. A survey conducted in the US showed that more than 33% of individuals did not have appropriate health literacy [5]. Earlier study results indicated that 31% of the Iranian diabetes patients had adequate health literacy [8].…”

“…The most speci c critical importance is how patients comprehend instructions related to the physician's prescribed medications [5]. Accordingly, in diabetes patient care, health literacy affects the consequences of diabetes health care through diabetes patients' and physicians' relationships and self-care factors [16], which are closely associated with each other [1].…”