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Published on: August 1, 2019
Literacy and its relationship with self-efficacy, trust, and participation in medical decision making
Darren A DeWalt1, Regina S Boone, Michael P Pignone
1School of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. dewaltd@med.unc.edu
Objective:
To examine the relationship between literacy and trust, self-efficacy, and participation in medical decision making in adults with diabetes.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey and chart review was performed. Patients' literacy was categorized as low if measured < or = 6th grade level.
Results:
Two hundred sixty-eight patients participated; 53 had low literacy. No relationship was found between literacy and trust or self-efficacy. Patients with low literacy had less desire to participate in medical decision making (P<0.001) and less diabetes-related knowledge (P<0.001). Literacy was not associated with diabetes outcomes.
Conclusions:
Low literacy is associated with less desire to participate in medical decision making, but not associated with trust or self-efficacy.
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