Exploring the Association between Health Literacy and Diabetes Risk in Adults: Insights from a Pilot Study in Leiria

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Literacy Research

Background:

• Low health literacy (HL) is associated with increased risk behaviors for type 2 diabetes (T2D).
• Limited understanding exists in Europe regarding the HL-T2D relationship and the potential of HL improvement for disease prevention.
• This study investigates the association between HL and T2D risk in adults in Leiria, Portugal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure the association between health literacy (HL) and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D).
• To assess the impact of HL levels on T2D risk scores in an adult population.
• To provide evidence for public health strategies aimed at T2D prevention through HL enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Longitudinal Health Literacy Study of the Municipality of Leiria.
• Employed the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) to assess T2D risk and the European Health Literacy Questionnaire (short version) for HL assessment.
• Conducted multivariate linear analysis, with three nested models adjusted for age, sex, and education, to examine the relationship between HL and FINDRISC scores.

Main Results:

• A significant portion of the sample presented moderate to very high risk for T2D (47.6%).
• Individuals with inadequate HL showed an average of 4.62 points higher on the FINDRISC scale compared to those with excellent HL, after adjusting for covariates (95% CI: 0.558-8.677).
• This indicates a statistically significant association between lower health literacy and increased T2D risk.

Conclusions:

• Lower levels of health literacy are associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• Investing in public health programs that enhance citizens' knowledge and health management skills is crucial for T2D prevention.
• Improving health literacy represents a potential avenue for effective T2D risk reduction strategies.