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The Relationship Between Health Literacy Level and Metabolic Control Variables in People with Diabetes: A
Nesibe Şimşekoğlu1, Betül Erişmiş2, Merve Feyza Demir Gürdal3
1Fundamental of Nursing Department, Hamidiye Faculty of Nursing, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul 34668, Türkiye.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Individuals with diabetes often have limited health literacy, impacting their ability to manage the condition. This study found a negative relationship between health literacy and fasting blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Endocrinology
- Health Education
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus is a significant global public health concern.
- Individual health literacy is crucial for effective diabetes management.
- Limited health literacy poses challenges for patients in understanding and acting on health information.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between health literacy levels and metabolic control variables in individuals with diabetes.
- To identify factors influencing health literacy among diabetic patients.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was employed.
- Data collected via questionnaires included demographic information, metabolic variables, and the Turkish Health Literacy Scale (THLS).
- Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26.
Main Results:
- Participants exhibited 'problematic/limited' health literacy levels, with a mean THLS score of 29.74 ± 9.36.
- Significant differences were observed in THLS scores related to fasting blood glucose, education, social media use, internet use for physician selection, and online health searches.
- Multivariate analyses did not find statistically significant effects of independent variables on THLS, with an adjusted R² of 0.123.
Conclusions:
- Diabetic individuals in the study sample struggled to access, interpret, and apply health information.
- A negative correlation was identified between limited health literacy and fasting blood sugar levels in this diabetic population.
- Interventions to improve health literacy are essential for better diabetes self-management and metabolic control.
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