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Health Literacy Among Adults With Multiple Chronic Health Conditions
Ann P Rafferty1, Huabin Luo, Nancy L Winterbauer
1Department of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina (Drs Rafferty, Luo, Winterbauer, Bell, Little, and Imai); and Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Dr Bell).
Summary
Low health literacy (HL) is linked to worse health outcomes. Adults with multiple chronic conditions (CCs) have higher rates of low HL, indicating a need for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Outcomes Research
- Health Literacy Studies
Background:
- Low health literacy (HL) is a significant determinant of adverse health outcomes.
- Individuals with multiple chronic conditions (CCs) often face complex health management challenges.
- Understanding HL levels within this vulnerable population is crucial for effective healthcare strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of low health literacy among adults with multiple chronic conditions.
- To investigate the association between the number of chronic conditions and the level of health literacy.
- To identify specific challenges related to obtaining and understanding health information in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
- Measured health literacy using three subjective questions assessing difficulties with obtaining, understanding spoken, and understanding written health information.
- Employed multiple logistic regression analysis to examine the relationship between HL and the number of CCs.
Main Results:
- The overall prevalence of low health literacy was 13.8%.
- Low HL prevalence increased with the number of CCs, rising from 10.6% (no CCs) to 24.7% (≥3 CCs).
- Adults with three or more CCs had over twice the adjusted odds of low HL compared to those with no CCs (aOR = 2.65).
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of adults with multiple chronic conditions exhibit low health literacy.
- The burden of chronic conditions is directly associated with increased difficulty in health literacy.
- Interventions aimed at improving health literacy are essential for adults managing multiple chronic conditions to enhance health outcomes.
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