Candace D. McNaughton|Sunil Kripalani|Courtney Cawthon|Lorraine C. Mion|Kenneth A. Wallston|Christianne L. Roumie
Association of Health Literacy With Elevated Blood Pressure
Vanderbilt University|Vanderbilt Health|Vanderbilt University|Vanderbilt University|VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System|Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center|Nashville VA Medical Center|Veterans Health Administration
background clinical consequences low health literacy fully understood objectives evaluated relationship low health literacy elevated blood pressure bp hospital presentation research design subjects conducted crosssectional evaluation adult patients hospitalized university hospital november 1 2010 april 30 2012 measures health literacy assessed using brief health literacy screen bhls low health literacy defined bhls score 9 bp assessed using clinical measurements outcome elevated bp 14090 mm hg 13080 mm hg diabetes renal disease extremely elevated bp 160100 mm hg hospital presentation multivariate logistic regression adjusted age sex race insurance comorbidities antihypertensive medications preplanned restricted analysis among patients diagnosed hypertension performed results 46263 hospitalizations 23 low health literacy occurred often among patients older 61 vs 54 less educated 284 vs 112 completed high school often admitted emergency department 543 vs 481 bhls9 elevated bp frequent among low health literacy 400 vs 355 adjusted odds ratio aor 106 95 confidence interval ci 101112 low health literacy associated extremely elevated bp aor 108 95 ci 101116 elevated bp among without diagnosed hypertension aor 109 95 ci 102116 conclusions patients elevated bp hospital presentation low health literacy independently associated elevated bp particularly among patients without diagnosed hypertension