Ryan Seibert|Michael Winter|Howard Cabral|Michael S. Wolf|Laura M. Curtis|Michael K. Paasche?Orlow
Health Literacy and Income Mediate Racial/Ethnic Asthma Disparities
background health literacy socioeconomic status ses associated raceethnicity asthma outcomes extent health literacy ses mediate racialethnic asthma disparities less clear objective determine health literacy ses mediate racialethnic asthma disparities using advanced mediation analyses methods secondary analysis performed using chicagobased longitudinal cohort study conducted 2004 2007 involving 342 adults age 18 41 years persistent asthma phone interviews conducted every 3 months assessing asthma quality life aqol scored 17 7 highest asthmarelated health care use measures structural equation models assessed mediation raceethnicity effects aqol health care use health literacy ses covariates bestfit model included sex year season interview cigarette smoking key results study sample 778 female 573 african americannonhispanic 287 hispanic raceethnicity significantly associated aqol asthmarelated emergency department ed visits indirectly effects health literacy income compared whitenonhispanics african americannonhispanics hispanics significantly higher odds low health literacy lower income low health literacy associated significantly lower aqol scores 024 95 confidence interval ci 038 010 higher odds ed visit adjusted odds ratio 124 95 ci 107 143 increasing income associated significantly higher aqol scores 018 95 ci 008 028 lower odds ed visit adjusted odds ratio 088 95 ci 080 097 conclusions relationships raceethnicity several asthma outcomes mediated health literacy income interventions improve racialethnic asthma disparities target health literacy income barriers hlrp health literacy research practice 201931e9e18 plain language summary using advanced statistical methods study suggests racialethnic differences several asthma outcomes largely due effects health literacy income interventions improve racialethnic asthma disparities target health literacy income barriers