Health and Functional Literacy in Physical Rehabilitation Patients

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Individuals with disabilities encounter significant barriers to healthcare access, leading to health disparities.
• Limited research exists on the health literacy levels within populations experiencing disabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess functional literacy, health literacy, cognitive function, and self-reported health in individuals with spinal cord injury, stroke, or traumatic brain injury.
• To understand the relationships between these factors and their impact on patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 18-85 year olds, one year post-spinal cord injury, stroke, or traumatic brain injury, completed assessments.
• Measures included functional literacy (word recognition, vocabulary), health literacy (prose, document, quantitative comprehension), fluid cognitive function (memory, executive function, processing speed), and patient-reported outcomes (mobility, fatigue, mood, social function, overall health).

Main Results:

• Strong correlations were observed between functional literacy, health literacy, and fluid cognitive function.
• Higher health literacy was linked to improved mobility, reduced anxiety, and better overall health.
• Higher functional literacy and cognitive function also correlated with better mental health and social function.

Conclusions:

• Interventions targeting patients, providers, and healthcare systems are needed to address limited health literacy in this population.
• Health information must be accessible and tailored to individuals' varying health literacy levels and functional limitations.
• The study's multimedia health literacy measure can aid rehabilitation providers and health information designers.