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Health literacy among adults: a study from Turkey.
1Department of Family Medicine, Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, 16059 Bursa, Turkey.
Health Education Research
|January 19, 2010
Summary
This study assessed patient health literacy using REALM and NVS tests. Findings reveal significant variations in health literacy levels, with education being a key influencing factor.
Area of Science:
- Health Communication
- Medical Education
- Public Health
Background:
- Patient health literacy is crucial for effective health communication and outcomes.
- Assessing health literacy is vital for tailoring patient education and support.
- Limited health literacy can negatively impact patient understanding and adherence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate health literacy levels in a family medicine clinic population.
- To identify demographic factors associated with varying health literacy.
- To compare results from two distinct health literacy assessment tools.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) and Newest Vital Sign (NVS) instruments.
- Conducted in-person interviews with 456 patients at a family medicine clinic.
- Employed translation-back translation for Turkish language versions of assessment tools and collected demographic data.
Main Results:
- Mean REALM score was 60.29, with 58.7% demonstrating adequate literacy; mean NVS score was 2.60, with 28.1% adequate.
- Inadequate health literacy was found in 2.7% (REALM), and marginal in 38.6% (REALM).
- Educational attainment was the strongest predictor; lower scores were associated with females, primary education, poor economic status, and older age.
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of the patient population exhibits marginal or inadequate health literacy.
- Reading and vocabulary skills appear stronger than numerical abilities among participants.
- Interventions should address educational disparities and target specific demographic groups to improve health literacy.
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