Health literacy, health outcomes, and the caregiver role in traumatic brain injury.

Abstract

Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this study is to estimate the occurrence of low health literacy among caregivers of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to evaluate associations of health literacy with caregiver health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and perceptions of the caregiving role. Research Method/Design: The TBI-CareQOL measurement system assesses important self-reported outcomes for caregivers of civilians or service members/veterans (SMVs) with TBI. The validation phase included the Health Literacy Assessment Using Talking Touchscreen Technology (Health LiTT) measure. Multivariable regression evaluated the impact of low health literacy on generic and TBI-specific HRQOL and appraisals of the caregiving role, adjusted for caregiver gender, race/ethnicity and education, and the functional status of the TBI care recipient. Results: Among 131 caregivers, 28 (21%) had low health literacy. Compared with the high health literacy group, the group with low health literacy had fewer women, more racial/ethnic minorities, and lower education (all p Ͻ .05). The low health literacy group reported more subjective caregiving burden, less satisfaction with their relationship with the TBI recipient, less caregiving mastery, and poorer physical health (all p Ͻ .05). There were no differences between health literacy groups in caregiving ideology, caregiver-specific HRQOL or general mental health. Conclusions/Implications: A better understanding of the links between health literacy and caregiver HRQOL and the caregiving role can help identify strategies to meet the needs of this underserved population. Tailored interventions for caregivers with low health literacy could improve outcomes for both the caregiver and the care recipient. Impact and ImplicationsHealth literacy is particularly relevant for the tasks and knowledge required of caregivers. Improving health literacy and health-related self-efficacy might be a critical clinical strategy for improving coping and health outcomes in caregivers of persons with traumatic brain injury.

Positive Mental Health and Mental Health Literacy of Informal Caregivers: A Scoping Review

“…Three studies address family caregiver health literacy, exploring its association with caregiver burden and/or quality of life [ 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Two studies focus on the experience of caring for a dependent person with mental illness in terms of the knowledge/skills needed for the role and the mental health indicators of the family caregiver [ 22 , 28 ].…”

“…As for the study design and methods used, six had a quantitative approach [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Of the remaining studies, one took a qualitative approach using interviews and thematic data analysis [ 28 ]; one study used a mixed approach, using pre- and post-test methodology [ 29 ].…”

“…Of the remaining studies, one took a qualitative approach using interviews and thematic data analysis [ 28 ]; one study used a mixed approach, using pre- and post-test methodology [ 29 ]. Data collection using quantitative methods was carried out using a questionnaire (namely to collect socio-demographic data) and/or using scales to measure the phenomena under study [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 29 ] ( Table 2 ). In terms of the quality of the studies, all of them were classified as approved.…”

Diversity in U.S. Military Families: An Environmental Scan of the Peer-Reviewed Literature on Race and Ethnic Variation for Select Well-Being Outcomes

“…• Race was not significantly associated with health-promoting behaviors (Padden, Connors, and Agazio, 2011). • Compared with the high health literacy group, the low health literacy group contained significantly more R/E minorities (Hahn et al, 2020).…”

Overconfidence in Managing Health Concerns: The Dunning–Kruger Effect and Health Literacy

“…Due to the established research addressing the role of various cognitive biases in health literacy , it is plausible that the DKE subsequently impacts digestion of health information. It is important to understand factors contributing to health literacy, because low health literacy has been associated with mortality (Smith et al, 2018 ), and caregiver burden and caregiver poorer physical health (Hahn et al, 2020 ), among other effects. Acquiring accurate health literacy and critically evaluating presented information is a necessary foundational step for engaging in health-promoting behaviors that mitigate risk factors.…”