scholarly journals Correlates of Health Literacy among Filipinos aged 50-70 years old Belonging to Low-Income Families in a Selected Community

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hygeia Grace C. Agosto ◽  
Marla Vina A. Briones ◽  
Maylin C. Palatino

Objective. A number of studies worldwide have shown that health literacy is vital in the improvement of health status of individuals as well as in the effective implementation of health programs. In the Philippines, however, data regarding the level of health literacy among Filipino adults are yet to be gathered. This study then aimed to describe the health literacy level and to determine the correlates of health literacy among Filipino adults aged 50 to 70 years old belonging to the lower socioeconomic class in a selected community. Methods. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted, utilizing data from the study of Briones, M. et. al in 2015, among selected Filipino adults in a barangay in Pasig City. Results. Ninety-four percent of the study participants had problematic/inadequate health literacy level. The factors found to be statistically associated with having problematic / inadequate health literacy were having at most high school level education, and not being able to visit a medical doctor in the past 12 months. Nonetheless, being self-employed made an individual less likely to have a problematic/inadequate health literacy. Conclusions. There was a high proportion of individuals who had problematic/inadequate health literacy among 50 to 70 years old in the study area. Socio-economic characteristics such as educational attainment and healthcare access were shown to be associated with an individual’s level of health literacy. Despite the extensive health information available to the public, the level of health literacy still remained to be poor. This indicates that there is a need to evaluate if said information are easily accessed, understood, appraised and applied by individuals to make sound health decisions.

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 604-612
Author(s):  
Salome Bwayo Weaver ◽  
Mary Maneno ◽  
Prince Chijioke ◽  
Debbynie Barsh ◽  
Rachel Mayaka

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to determine factors associated with health literacy and medication adherence in an urban community. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess factors associated with health literacy and medication adherence. Participants were recruited from October 2012 to April 2013. SETTING: Ambulatory care clinic and senior wellness center. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were eligible if they were older than 18 years of age and had received care at the ambulatory clinic or obtained services at the senior wellness center. INTERVENTIONS: REALM survey and the Morisky 8-Item Medication Adherence Questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The two outcomes evaluated in this study were health literacy and medication adherence. RESULTS: A total of 51 participants were enrolled in the study. Twenty-seven (53%) of the participants were noted to be nonadherent to their medications. Twenty (74%) of these participants read below the high school level, and the remaining 7 (26%) read above a high school level. Study findings showed that both education level and comorbidities status were associated with health literacy. Participants who had a below high school education level had greater odds of having a below high school health literacy level (odds ratio [OR] = 7.500, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.482-37.949). Participants who had two or more comorbidities had greater odds of having a below high school health literacy level (OR = 24.889, 95% CI 2.698-229.610). CONCLUSION: Our study results found associations between both comorbidities and education with health literacy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 604-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salome Bwayo Weaver ◽  
Mary Maneno ◽  
Prince Chijioke ◽  
Debbynie Barsh ◽  
Rachel Mayaka

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to determine factors associated with health literacy and medication adherence in an urban community. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess factors associated with health literacy and medication adherence. Participants were recruited from October 2012 to April 2013. SETTING: Ambulatory care clinic and senior wellness center. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were eligible if they were older than 18 years of age and had received care at the ambulatory clinic or obtained services at the senior wellness center. INTERVENTIONS: REALM survey and the Morisky 8-Item Medication Adherence Questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The two outcomes evaluated in this study were health literacy and medication adherence. RESULTS: A total of 51 participants were enrolled in the study. Twenty-seven (53%) of the participants were noted to be nonadherent to their medications. Twenty (74%) of these participants read below the high school level, and the remaining 7 (26%) read above a high school level. Study findings showed that both education level and comorbidities status were associated with health literacy. Participants who had a below high school education level had greater odds of having a below high school health literacy level (odds ratio [OR] = 7.500, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.482-37.949). Participants who had two or more comorbidities had greater odds of having a below high school health literacy level (OR = 24.889, 95% CI 2.698-229.610). CONCLUSION: Our study results found associations between both comorbidities and education with health literacy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Desalew Tilahun ◽  
Abebe Abera ◽  
Gugsa Nemera

Abstract Background Health literacy plays a prominent role in empowering individuals for prevention as well as management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, there is paucity of information on the health literacy of patients with non-communicable diseases in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess communicative health literacy and associated factors in patients with NCDs on follow-up at Jimma Medical Center (JMC), Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from 4 May 2020 to 4 July 2020 with 408 randomly selected adult patients, attending outpatient department of JMC in Ethiopia. The final sample size was obtained by using single population proportion formula. All patients with NCDs who were on follow-up at chronic illness clinic, JMC, were used as a source population. All eligible patients with NCDs who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in this study. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit study participants. Data were collected through structured interviewer administered questionnaires on the six of nine health literacy domains using Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) containing 30 items, socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, disease-related factors, and health information sources. Multivariable logistic regression was executed to determine the associations. Result Descriptive analysis shows more than half of the respondents in four of the six health literacy domains had high communicative health literacy level (CHLL). The proportion of people with high CHLL across each of the domains was as follows: health care provider support (56.1%), social support for health (53.7%), active engagement with a healthcare provider (56.1%), and navigating healthcare system (53.4%). We found educational status was significantly associated with five of six health literacy domains whereas number of sources was associated with four of six health literacy domains. Conclusion The overall findings of the current study indicate that health literacy levels vary according to socio-demographic and disease characteristics of patients. Thus, healthcare professionals should assess patients’ health literacy level and tailor information and support to the health literacy skills and personal context of their patients.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takaedza Munangatire ◽  
Nestor Tomas ◽  
Violetha Mareka

Abstract Background: Inadequate health literacy and poor health practices among nurses could be a hindrance to empowering the population with good health practices. For the nurses to empower the population, they need to be equipped with good health literacy and good health practices. The starting point of solving this problem is through provision of deliberate health literacy and health practice education in the nursing curriculum. This study explored health literacy level and health practices of nursing students in Namibia. Specifically the study examined the health literacy level, health practices and the relationship between the two among nursing students across four levels of study. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 205 nursing students. A simple random stratified sampling method was used and data were collected using questionnaire for health literacy (16 items) and health practices (11 items. Pearson correlation, independent t-test and One-way ANOVA were used to analyse the data. Results: The overall mean general health literacy score was 13.04± 1.52. The majority (n=157;76.5%) of the students were found to have adequate health literacy scores, 21.5% with moderate health literacy scores and only 2% with inadequate health literacy scores. The overall mean health practice score was 32.4± 5.50. Most (n=106; 51.7%) of the students were found to have poor health practices, 44.4% had average health practices and 3.9% had good health practices. There was no significant relationship between health literacy levels and health practices of the students (p=0.63).Conclusions: Nursing students have good health literacy but more efforts should be applied to maintain such health literacy levels during and beyond the point of graduation. However, with poor health practices, there is need to investigate more on the contributing factors and develop strategies that can support good health practices among nursing students and maybe these can be transferred into their professional careers as nurses.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleda M. H. Chen ◽  
Karen S. Yehle ◽  
Nancy M. Albert ◽  
Kenneth F. Ferraro ◽  
Holly L. Mason ◽  
...  

Background. Inadequate health literacy may be a barrier to gaining knowledge about heart failure (HF) self-care expectations, strengthening self-efficacy for self-care behaviors, and adhering to self-care behaviors over time.Objective. To examine if health literacy is associated with HF knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-care adherence longitudinally.Methods. Prior to education, newly referred patients at three HF clinics (N=51, age:64.7±13.0years) completed assessments of health literacy, HF knowledge, self-efficacy, and adherence to self-care at baseline, 2, and 4 months. Repeated measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni-adjusted alpha levels was used to test longitudinal outcomes.Results. Health literacy was associated with HF knowledge longitudinally (P<0.001) but was not associated with self-efficacy self-care adherence. In posthoc analyses, participants with inadequate health literacy had less HF knowledge than participants with adequate (P<0.001) but not marginal (P=0.073) health literacy.Conclusions. Adequate health literacy was associated with greater HF knowledge but not self-efficacy or adherence to self-care expectations over time. If nurses understand patients’ health literacy level, they may educate patients using methods that promote understanding of concepts. Since interventions that promote self-efficacy and adherence to self-care were not associated with health literacy level, new approaches must be examined.


Author(s):  
Emrah Atay ◽  
Saniye Göktaş ◽  
Gülsüm Öztürk Emiral ◽  
Gökçe Dağtekin ◽  
Sevil Akbulut Zencirci ◽  
...  

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the level of Health Literacy of teachers who work at the city center of Eskisehir and to evaluate the relation with eating behaviors and some of possible related variables.Methods: This cross-sectional research study was conducted between 1st of March and 28th of April 2017 with the primary, secondary and high school teachers. Study group consists of 825 teachers who agreed to participate to the study. The Questionnaire form includes the socio-demographic variables of teachers, potential factors associated with the health literacy, Turkish Health Literacy Scale 32 (THLS-32) and The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire.Results: The mean age was 41.91±8.80 years ranging from 22 to 65 years. The median score of the general index of the THLS-32 was found to be as 32.81 and 52.1% of our study population were found to be above the median score. The participants showed a negative correlation between the scores of ‘emotional eating’,‘uncontrolled eating’ scale and THLS-32, positive correlation between ‘cognitive restraint’ eating scale THLS-32.Conclusions: The health literacy level of teachers is important because of effecting both themselves and students. The teachers and the health care providers should collaborate on the topic more and they should be encouraged to participate in health related programmes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenhua Li ◽  
Yongquan Tian ◽  
Shuiyuan Xiao ◽  
Zhicheng Gong ◽  
Long Qian

Abstract Background: Few studies have described the geographic variation in health literacy in China. This study aimed to investigate the regional heterogeneities in health literacy levels in the Chinese population, in order to formulate targeted health literacy promotion strategies in different economic and cultural contexts.Methods: Multi-stage stratification, clustering, and random sampling methods were used to select 70 study sites from 25 provinces or municipalities in China in 2017. Health literacy was measured using the National Resident Health Literacy Monitoring Questionnaire. MapInfo software was used to map the geographic distribution. Multiple logistic regression was used to adjust for the factors associated with the health literacy level in the total and regional samples.Results: A total of 3,482 participants were included in the study, including 1,792 (51.5%) males and 1,690 (48.5%) females. Notable geographic variation was observed in the health literacy level. The proportion of respondents with adequate health literacy was 22.3% overall, 33.0% in the eastern region, 23.1% in the central region, and 17.6% in the western region. The proportion of adequate health literacy in the different provinces or municipalities ranged from 10.5%(Xinjiang) to 47.0%(Beijing). Being a female (odds ratio [OR]=1.360, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.153-1.605), having a higher education level (OR=1.860, 95% CI: 1.671-2.070), having a better economic status (OR=1.353, 95% CI: 1.220-1.502), having a better self-rated health status (OR=1.263, 95% CI: 1.081-1.476), and having more community health education (OR=1.192, 95% CI: 1.034-1.374) were independently associated with adequate health literacy.Conclusions: The health literacy level of Chinese people is still low, and there are heterogeneities among different regions, between urban and rural areas, and among different social groups. The methods used to improve the health literacy levels of people in different regions should be adapted to local conditions. In the central and eastern regions, low-income people are the focus of health literacy improvement efforts. Special emphasis should be placed on the degree of health knowledge publicity and the accessibility of health knowledge and skills in the central and western regions.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-21
Author(s):  
Sunita Ghike ◽  
Sulbha Joshi ◽  
A Bhalerao ◽  
A Kawthalkar

ABSTRACT Population explosion is a major burden on developing countries like us. Unregulated fertility not only disrupts the health of women and child but also disrupts the economy of society and nation. To gain the knowledge about awareness and contraceptive practices in women living in rural area a cross-sectional study was conducted over two years from 15/5/05 to 15/6/07 in relation to age, parity, literacy level, working place, source of knowledge about contraception, women practicing contraception and reasons for nonuse of contraceptives. It was observed that most of the women belong to the age group of 22 to 25 years 346.91%, 33.7% were para 2. 56.3% were working and 44%were literate and only 1 to 1.2% had education above high school level. Media including TV and radio was the main source of contraceptive knowledge, i.e. 70%. 67.5% of women were aware about temporary methods of contraception while 100% were aware about permanent methods of contraception, but number of women practicing contraception was very low, i.e. 35.7% and the main reason of nonpractice of contraception was family pressure mainly in laws, husband gender bias, physical abuse, etc. i. e. 59%. It was noted that though knowledge of at least one method of contraception was wide among the women but still actual practice was very low.


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