scholarly journals Identifying At-Risk Subpopulations of Canadians with Limited Health Literacy

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Yamashita ◽  
A. John Bailer ◽  
Douglas A. Noe
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Regression Tree ◽  
Tree Algorithm ◽  
Limited Health Literacy ◽  
Limited Health

Background. Health literacy, the set of skills for locating, understanding, and using health-related information, is associated with various health outcomes through health behaviors and health care service use. While health literacy has great potential for addressing health disparities stemming from the differing educational attainment in diverse populations, knowledge about subpopulations that share the same risk factors is useful. Objective. This study employed a logistic regression tree algorithm to identify subpopulations at risk of limited health literacy in Canadian adults. Design. The nationally representative data were derived from the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (n = 20,059). The logistic regression tree algorithm splits the samples into subgroups and fits logistic regressions. Results. Results showed that the subpopulation comprised of individuals 56 years and older, with household income less than $50,000, no participation in adult education programs, and lack of reading activities (i.e., newspaper, books) was at the greatest risk (82%) of limited health literacy. Other identified subgroups were displayed in an easily interpreted tree diagram. Conclusions. Identified subpopulations organized in tree diagrams according to the risk of limited health literacy inform not only intervention programs targeting unique subpopulations but also future health literacy research.

The missing link to patient engagement in Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1183-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocco Palumbo ◽  
Carmela Annarumma ◽  
Paola Adinolfi ◽  
Marco Musella
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Patient Engagement ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Limited Health Literacy ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Limited Health ◽  
Inadequate Health Literacy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the changing patterns of users’ behavior in the health care service system. Although patient engagement and health services’ co-production are understood as essential ingredients in the recipe for sustainable health systems, some determinants to patient involvement are still widely neglected by both policy makers and health care professionals. Among others, inadequate health literacy performs as a significant barrier to patient empowerment. Design/methodology/approach A survey aimed at objectively measuring health literacy-related skills was administered to a random sample of 600 Italian patients. The Italian version of the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) was used to assess the ability of the respondents to deal with written health information. Moreover, the respondents were asked to self-report their ability to navigate the health system. It was presumed that inadequate health literacy as measured by the NVS is related with impaired self-reported functional, interactive, and critical health-related competencies, paving the way for the inability and the unwillingness of patients to be involved in the health care provision. Findings About half of the sample showed inadequate health literacy. However, poor NVS scores were only slightly associated with limited self-reported functional, interactive, and critical health-related competencies. In general, patients with inadequate health-related skills were not likely to be engaged in the provision of health services. Elderly, people suffering from financial deprivation and less educated individuals were found to be at special risk of living with limited health literacy. Practical implications Limited health literacy is a common and relevant issue among people dealing with the health care service system. The impaired ability to collect, process, and use health information produces barriers to patient engagement and prevents the evolution of patients’ behavior toward health care co-production. Originality/value Health literacy is a widely overlooked issue in the Italian national health system. This paper contributes in shedding light on the determinants and effects of health literacy of Italian hospital patients. Besides, some insights on the validity of the methodological tools typically used to assess health-related skills are provided.

Can Screening Items Identify Surgery Patients at Risk of Limited Health Literacy?

2007 ◽  
Vol 140 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine S. Wallace ◽  
David C. Cassada ◽  
Edwin S. Rogers ◽  
Michael B. Freeman ◽  
Oscar H. Grandas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Limited Health Literacy ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
Limited Health

scholarly journals Breastfeeding behavior is not associated with health literacy: evidence from the German KUNO-Kids birth cohort study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa M. Graus ◽  
◽  
Susanne Brandstetter ◽  
Birgit Seelbach-Göbel ◽  
Michael Melter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Maternal Health ◽  
Maternity Hospital ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Limited Health Literacy ◽  
Breastfeeding Cessation ◽  
Limited Health

Abstract Purpose Despite the health benefits of full breastfeeding for both infants and mothers, less than 50% of mothers in Germany practice this method for at least 4 months after childbirth. Because of the growing importance of health literacy to improve public health, we investigated the role of maternal health literacy in breastfeeding behavior. Methods We analyzed the data of 1172 mother–child dyads of the KUNO-Kids health study of the University Children’s and Maternity Hospital Regensburg. Maternal health literacy was assessed with the HLS-EU-Q47 questionnaire (sub-index health care) up to 48 h after childbirth. Outcome was analyzed 6 months after childbirth and categorized into full breastfeeding for less than 4 months or for at least 4 months. The association between breastfeeding and maternal health literacy was calculated with univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results 38.8% of mothers showed inadequate or limited health literacy. 75.9% of mothers had fully breastfed their child for at least 4 months. Univariable logistic regression analysis showed that health literacy and full breastfeeding for at least 4 months were not associated (OR = 0.995 [CI 0.977–1.015], p = 0.60). After adjusting for all potentially confounding variables with a significant association (p ≤ 0.05) on both health literacy and breastfeeding, the multivariable model showed no association between health literacy and breastfeeding (OR = 0.984 [CI 0.963–1.007], p = 0.170). Conclusion Surprisingly, we found no association between health literacy and breastfeeding behavior in our study. Therefore, future research with comparable measurements of health literacy and breastfeeding is required to validate this result and to identify reasons for early breastfeeding cessation.

scholarly journals Malaysian Health Literacy: Scorecard Performance from a National Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5813
Author(s):  
Norrafizah Jaafar ◽  
Komathi Perialathan ◽  
Manimaran Krishnan ◽  
Nurashma Juatan ◽  
Masitah Ahmad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Limited Health Literacy ◽  
Health Literacy Level ◽  
Prevention And Health Promotion ◽  
Literacy Level ◽  
Limited Health

Health literacy is an indicator of a society’s ability to make better health judgements for themselves and the people around them. This study investigated the prevalence of health literacy among Malaysian adults and provided an overall picture of the society’s current health literacy status, which has not been previously assessed. The study also highlighted socio-demographic markers of communities with limited health literacy that may warrant future intervention. A population-based self-administered survey using the Health Literacy Survey Malaysian Questionnaire18 (HLS-M-Q18) instrument was conducted as part of the National Health Morbidity Survey 2019 in Malaysia. The nationwide survey utilized a two-staged stratified random sampling method. A sample of 9478 individuals aged 18 and above, drawn from the living quarter list, participated in the study. The health literacy score was divided into three levels; limited, sufficient, and excellent. Findings showed a majority of the Malaysian population had a sufficient health literacy level in all three domains—healthcare, diseases prevention and health promotion (49.1%, 44.2%, and 47.5%, respectively)—albeit leaning towards the lower end of the category with an average score of 35.5. The limited health literacy groups were prevalent among respondents with older age (68%), lower education level (64.8%), and lower household income (49.5%). The overall health literacy status for Malaysia was categorized at a lower sufficiency level. Future health literacy improvements should focus on communities with a limited health literacy level to improve the overall score.

scholarly journals Health literacy level in a various nephrology population from Québec: predialysis clinic, in-centre hemodialysis and home dialysis; a transversal monocentric observational study

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annabel Boyer ◽  
Yannick Begin ◽  
Julie Dupont ◽  
Mathieu Rousseau-Gagnon ◽  
Nicolas Fernandez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Home Dialysis ◽  
Limited Health Literacy ◽  
Limited Health

Abstract Background Health literacy refers to the ability of individuals to gain access to, use, and understand health information and services in order to maintain a good health. It is especially important in nephrology due to the complexity of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The present study sought to define health literacy levels in patients followed in predialysis clinic, in-center dialysis (ICHD), peritoneal dialysis (PD) and home hemodialysis (HHD). Methods This transversal monocentric observational study analysed 363 patients between October 2016 and April 2017. The Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS) and the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) were used to measure health literacy. Multivariate linear regressions were used to compare the mean scores on the BHLS and HLQ, across the four groups. Results Patients on PD had a significantly higher BHLS’score than patients on ICHD (p = 0.04). HLQ’s scores differed across the groups: patients on HHD (p = 0.01) and PD (p = 0.002) were more likely to feel understood by their healthcare providers. Compared to ICHD, patients on HHD were more likely to have sufficient information to manage their health (p = 0.02), and patients in the predialysis clinic were more likely to report high abilities for health information appraisal (p < 0.001). Conclusion In a monocentric study, there is a significant proportion of CKD patients, especially in predialysis clinic and in-centre hemodialysis, with limited health literacy. Patients on home dialysis (HHD and PD) had a higher level of health literacy compared to the other groups.

scholarly journals AB0300 LUPUS DISEASE ACTIVITY CORRELATES WITH QUALITY OF LIFE BUT NOT WITH HEALTH LITERACY STATUS

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1176.2-1176
Author(s):  
E. Eraslan ◽  
R. Bilici Salman ◽  
H. Satiş ◽  
A. Avanoglu Guler ◽  
H. Karadeniz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Patient Reported Outcome ◽  
The Body ◽  
Limited Health Literacy ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Limited Health

Background:Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology that can affect any organ of the body. SLE is associated with adverse effects on both health and non-health-related quality of life (HRQOL and non-HRQOL). Lupus PRO is a patient reported outcome measure that has been validated in many languages. It has 44 items that cover both HRQOL and non-HRQOL (1). Health literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Multiple studies indicate that people with limited health literacy have worse health status and higher rates of hospitalization (2).Objectives:We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the LLDAS (Lupus Low Disease Activity State) criteria and the Lupus PRO test, as well as the health literacy status of lupus patients.Methods:83 SLE patients (94% women) were included in the study. We performed Lupus PRO and the European Health Literacy Survey tests during the routine follow-up visits of lupus patients to our rheumatology outpatient clinic and admissions to rheumatology inpatient clinic. Available clinical data on medical records were obtained, physician global assessments (PGA) were recorded by the attending physician.Results:LLDAS criteria strongly and inversely correlated with the total score, as well as the mood subunit of the Lupus PRO. Similarly, it also significantly inversely correlated with the body appearence and goals subunits. Health literacy status of the patients did not correlate with their LLDAS scores, ie their disease activities.Conclusion:Our results suggest that lupus disease activity, assessed by LLDAS criteria, significantly correlates with measures of quality of life, spesicifically Lupus PRO test, but not with health literacy status. Further studies are needed to evaluate if health literacy is related with damage, hospitalization or mortality associated with lupus.References:[1]Jolly M, Pickard AS, Block JA, Kumar RB, Mikolaitis RA, Wilke CT, et al., editors. Disease-specific patient reported outcome tools for systemic lupus erythematosus. Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism; 2012: Elsevier.[2]Paasche-Orlow MK, Parker RM, Gazmararian JA, Nielsen-Bohlman LT, Rudd RR. The prevalence of limited health literacy. Journal of general internal medicine. 2005;20(2):175-84.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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