Identifying and Mapping “Hot Spots” of Low Health Literacy: A Potential Tool to Guide Intervention

2015 ◽  
pp. 69-84
Author(s):  
Laurie T. Martin ◽  
Teague Ruder ◽  
José J. Escarce ◽  
Bonnie Ghosh-Dastidar ◽  
Daniel Sherman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
Guide Intervention ◽  
Potential Tool

scholarly journals Mental health, compliance with measures and health prospects during the COVID-19 epidemic: the role of health literacy

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lize Hermans ◽  
Stephan Van den Broucke ◽  
Lydia Gisle ◽  
Stefaan Demarest ◽  
Rana Charafeddine
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Prevalence Ratio ◽  
Physical Distance ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Normal Life ◽  
Low Health Literacy

Abstract Background The importance of health literacy in dealing with the COVID-19 epidemic has been emphasized but scarcely addressed empirically. In this study, the association of health literacy with mental health, compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures and health prospects was assessed in a Belgian context. Methods Data were extracted from the third of a series of cross-sectional online COVID-related surveys (n = 32,794). Data collection took place for 1 week starting the 28th of May 2020. People residing in Belgium and aged 18 years or older could participate. Data were collected on sociodemographic background, health literacy, multimorbidity, mental health (depression, anxiety, sleeping disorder, vitality), knowledge about COVID-19, compliance with COVID-19 measures (hygiene, physical distance, covering mouth and nose on public transport and in places where physical distance cannot be respected), and health prospects (risk for health when returning to normal life and possibility of infection). Prevalence Ratio (PR) of poor mental health, non-compliance with the measures and health prospects in relation to health literacy were calculated using Poisson regressions. Results People showing sufficient health literacy were less likely to suffer from anxiety disorders (PR = 0.47, 95% CI = [0.42–0.53]), depression (PR = 0.46, 95% CI = [0.40–0.52]) and sleeping disorders (PR = 0.85, 95% CI = [0.82–0.87]), and more likely to have optimal vitality (PR = 2.41, 95% CI = [2.05–2.84]) than people with low health literacy. They were less at risk of not complying with the COVID-19 measures (PR between 0.60 and 0.83) except one (covering mouth and nose in places where physical distance cannot be respected). Finally, they were less likely to perceive returning to normal life as threatening (PR = 0.70, 95% CI = [0.65–0.77]) and to consider themselves at risk of an infection with COVID-19 (PR = 0.75, 95% CI = [0.67–0.84]). The associations remained significant after controlling for COVID-19 knowledge and multimorbidity. Conclusions These results suggest that health literacy is a crucial factor in managing the COVID-19 epidemic and offer a perspective for future studies that target health literacy in the context of virus outbreaks.

scholarly journals Low health literacy is associated with higher risk of type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study in Germany

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Tajdar ◽  
Dagmar Lühmann ◽  
Regina Fertmann ◽  
Tim Steinberg ◽  
Hendrik van den Bussche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Statistical Models ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Diabetes Risk ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Background Low health literacy is believed to be associated with behaviours that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. But there is limited knowledge on the relation between health literacy (HL) and diabetes risk, and whether improving HL could be a potential prevention strategy. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to examine the link between HL and diabetes risk among non-diabetic adults. Methods We used data from the Hamburg Diabetes Prevention Survey, a population-based cross-sectional study in Germany. One thousand, two hundred and fifty-five non-diabetic subjects aged 18–60 years were eligible. The German Diabetes Risk Score (GDRS, ranging 0 to 123 points) was used to determine the individual risk of type 2 diabetes. The short version of the European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16, ranging 0 to 16 points) was applied to assess the individual self-reported HL. Subjects were asked to self-estimate their diabetes risk, which was then compared with the calculated GDRS. Descriptive statistics were calculated to investigate group differences in the GDRS and self-estimated diabetes risk. Linear as well as logistic regression models were performed to analyse potential influencing variables of the GDRS as well as incorrect self-estimated diabetes risk. In three nested statistical models for each outcome, these analyses were adjusted for age, gender, educational level and the presence of chronic conditions. Results According to the criteria of the GDRS, 996 (79.4%) subjects showed “low risk”, 176 (14.0%) “still low risk”, 53 (4.2%) “elevated risk”, and 30 (2.4%) “high to very high risk” to develop type 2 diabetes within the next 5 years. In the statistical models including all control variables, subjects with “inadequate HL” scored 2.38 points higher on the GDRS (95% CI 0.378 to 4.336; P = 0.020) and had a 2.04 greater chance to estimate their diabetes risk incorrectly (OR 2.04; 95% CI 1.33 to 3.14; P = 0.001) compared to those with “sufficient HL”. Conclusion The risk of type 2 diabetes is increased in people with inadequate self-reported HL. People with high diabetes risk and inadequate HL might be provided with educational programs to improve diabetes knowledge and reduce behavioural risk factors.

scholarly journals Instructions for masking the taste of medication for children

2016 ◽  
Vol 150 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Régis Vaillancourt ◽  
Yen Truong ◽  
Shazya Karmali ◽  
Amanda Kraft ◽  
Selina Manji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
School Health ◽  
Clinical Impact ◽  
Pediatric Hospital ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
Health Literacy Level ◽  
Literacy Level

Background: Medications that taste unpleasant can be a struggle to administer to children, most often resulting in low adherence rates. Pictograms can be useful tools to improve adherence by conveying information to patients in a way that they will understand. Methods: One-on-one structured interviews were conducted with parents/guardians and with children between the ages of 9 and 17 years at a pediatric hospital. The questionnaire evaluated the comprehension of 12 pictogram sets that described how to mask the taste of medications for children. Pictograms understood by >85% of participants were considered validated. Short-term recall was assessed by asking participants to recall the meaning of each pictogram set. Results: There were 51 participants in the study—26 (51%) were children aged 9 to 17 years and 25 (49%) were parents or guardians. Most children (54%) had health literacy levels of grade 10 or higher. Most parents and guardians (92%) had at least a high school health literacy level. Six of the 12 pictogram sets (50%) were validated. Eleven of 12 pictogram sets (92%) had a median translucency score greater than 5. All 12 pictogram sets (100%) were correctly identified at short-term recall and were therefore validated. Conclusion: The addition of validated illustrations to pharmaceutical labels can be useful to instruct on how to mask the taste of medication in certain populations. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical impact of providing illustrated information to populations with low health literacy.

Abstract P169: Health Literacy and Outcomes in Heart Failure: a Prospective Community Study

Circulation ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 135 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Fabbri ◽  
Kathleen Yost ◽  
Lila Finney Rutten ◽  
Sheila Manemann ◽  
Susan Weston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Adequate Health Literacy ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
Increased Risk

Background: Growing evidence documents the association between low health literacy and poorer health outcomes. However, less is known about the relationship between health literacy and outcomes among patients with heart failure (HF). We examined the association of health literacy with risk of hospitalization and mortality in patients with HF. Methods: Residents in an 11-county region in southeastern Minnesota with incident HF from 1/01/2013 to 3/31/2015 were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code 428 (n=3715) and prospectively surveyed to measure health literacy using established screening questions. A total of 1992 patients returned a survey (response rate 54%); 1779 patients with complete clinical data and adequate follow up were retained for analysis. Health literacy, measured as a composite on three 5-point scales, was categorized as adequate (≤ 10) or low (> 10). Cox proportional hazards regression and Andersen-Gill models were used to determine the association of health literacy with mortality and hospitalization. Results: Among 1779 patients (mean age 74, 53% male), 10% had low health literacy. After a mean follow-up of 8±4 months, 72 deaths and 600 hospitalizations occurred. Low health literacy was associated with increased mortality and hospitalizations (Figure). After adjusting for age, sex, comorbidity, education and marital status, the hazard ratio for death and hospitalization in patients with low health literacy was 2.84 (95% CI: 1.63, 4.96) and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.96) respectively, compared to patients with adequate health literacy. Conclusions: Low health literacy is associated with increased risk of hospitalization and death among patients with HF. Health literacy is critical to the self-management demands of living with heart failure. Evaluation of health literacy in the clinical setting may guide inventions to target patients with low literacy.

scholarly journals The ABCs of Kidney Disease: Knowledge Retention and Healthcare Involvement

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237437352110652
Author(s):  
Daphne H. Knicely ◽  
Kristina Rinaldi ◽  
Shani Snow ◽  
Carmen Elena Cervantes ◽  
Michael J. Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Knowledge Retention ◽  
Office Visits ◽  
Structured Education ◽  
Disease Knowledge ◽  
Education Class ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
Consistent Manner

Low health literacy in the chronic kidney disease population results in lower rates of pre-dialysis preparation and understanding of management to slow progression. The ABCs of Kidney Disease education class provided education in a more consistent manner outside of routine office visits. We aimed to study whether a structured education program would increase kidney disease-specific knowledge and healthcare involvement. Knowledge retention at least 6 months after the class assessed by the Kidney Disease Knowledge Surveys (KiKS) and healthcare involvement based on surveys sent to referring providers were found to have increased. Incorporation of a structured education program would be important for providers to improve long-term knowledge and lead to greater healthcare involvement. Providing an education class outside of the routine office visits will provide a greater impact on health literacy.

scholarly journals P033 Randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of Audio-visual Health Educational materials on CPAP ADherence: The AHEAD trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A32-A32
Author(s):  
C Ellender ◽  
C Samaranayake ◽  
B Duce ◽  
M Boyde ◽  
S Winter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Cpap Adherence ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Educational Videos ◽  
Video Education

Abstract OSA is a prevalent chronic disease with significant health implications, for which achieving >4 hours/night on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is essential for effective treatment. Educational videos to improve CPAP adherence are of interest as a low-cost intervention, however trials have shown mixed results. This study aimed to compare CPAP usage following standard of care education (SOCE), with the usage following the addition of educational videos, customised to incorporate low health literacy communication, motivational and self-efficacy techniques. Methods Adults with OSA recommended treatment with CPAP, were recruited and randomised in a single blinded method, to watch short educational videos following their in laboratory CPAP study or SOCE. The primary outcome was CPAP usage at 2mths and secondary outcomes were usage at 12mth and proportion of patients with adequate usage >4hrs/night. Results 195 patients met the eligibility criteria and were randomised to video education (n = 96) or to SOCE (n = 99). There was no significant difference in compliance at 2mths (median usage 1.7hrs IQR 0–6.2 SOCE, 4.4hrs IQR 0–6.7 video education p = 0.1), however at 12mths there was increased usage in the video education arm (median 0hrs IQR 0–5.4 standard of care, 3.8hrs IQR 0–6.87 p = 0.05). The proportion with adequate CPAP usage >4hrs/night at 12mths was higher in the video education group (33, 33% versus 48, 50% p = 0.01). Conclusions Long-term adherence to CPAP is enhanced by the addition of educational videos that incorporate low health literacy communication and motivational techniques, compared to SOCE.

scholarly journals Elder Health Literacy

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
The Public ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
Health Education Materials

The public health impact of limited literacy has begun to be explored. The elderly and those with limited formal education are often the most vulnerable populations at risk of having low health literacy. Health promotion specialists must be cognizant of the literacy demands of health education materials (e.g., pamphlets, questionnaires) distributed to the elderly. Care must be taken to ensure that health education materials are both linguistically and culturally appropriate for whom they are intended.

Advancing Health Literacy Among Hispanic Immigrants: The Intersection Between Education and Health

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-257
Author(s):  
Francisco Soto Mas ◽  
Holly E. Jacobson
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Hispanic Immigrants ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
Health Literacy Level ◽  
Language Minorities ◽  
Fundamental Research

Health literacy is a priority issue in both medicine and public health, as it refers to the capacity to obtain and understand basic health information and services and to make appropriate health decisions. Health literacy has been associated with a variety of health care and health outcomes such as hospital admissions, use of preventive services, management of chronic conditions, and mortality. There is also evidence of the connection between low health literacy and health disparities. Despite federal and private efforts, improving health literacy has proven to be an enormous challenge. The negative health consequences of low health literacy are being experienced by most minority groups; however, health literacy is particularly relevant to Spanish speakers. Although disparities in health literacy among language minorities have been sufficiently identified and reported, there continue to exist fundamental research gaps. This article discusses health literacy research and practice gaps affecting Spanish speakers and recommends educational opportunities as an effective strategy for improving the health literacy level of Hispanic immigrants.

Low Health Literacy is Associated with the Onset of CKD during the Life Course

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1436-1443
Author(s):  
Matheus S. Gurgel do Amaral ◽  
Sijmen A. Reijneveld ◽  
Bas Geboers ◽  
Gerjan J. Navis ◽  
Andrea F de Winter
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
High Body Mass Index ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Adequate Health Literacy ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
Crude Model ◽  
The Life Course

BackgroundHealth literacy, the ability to deal with information related to one’s health, is a predictor of health outcomes in CKD. However, research has not explored whether low health literacy predicts the onset of CKD.MethodsWe used data from participants of Lifelines, a prospective population-based cohort study of individuals living in The Netherlands, to assess the share of individuals with low health literacy by eGFR category, whether low health literacy is associated with CKD onset in the general population and in the subgroup of older adults, and whether established CKD risk factors mediate this association.ResultsIn the total sample of 93,885 adults (mean follow-up 3.9 years), low health literacy was more likely among individuals in worse eGFR categories, increasing from 26.4% in eGFR category 1 to 50.0% in category 5 (P=0.02). Low health literacy, compared with adequate health literacy, was associated with the onset of CKD in the total sample (3.0% versus 2.1%) and in the subgroup of older adults (13.4% versus 11.3%), with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.44 (95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.31 to 1.59) and 1.21 (95% CI, 1.04 to 1.41), respectively. After adjustment for sex, age, education, and income, health literacy was associated with CKD onset only in older adults (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.50). This association was mediated by hypertension and high body mass index (BMI) in the crude model, but only by BMI after adjustment (with BMI explaining 18.8% of the association).ConclusionsLow health literacy is a risk factor for CKD onset among older adults, which suggests that CKD prevention might benefit from strategies to address low health literacy.

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