Mosfer A Al-Walah, Michael Donnelly, Adel A Alhusaini, Neil Heron
Pre-school-based behaviour change intervention to increase physical activity levels amongst young children: a feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial
Frontiers in public health
health literacy measure patients ability read comprehend act medical instructions poor health literacy common among racial ethnic minorities elderly persons patients chronic conditions particularly publicsector settings little known extent health literacy affects clinical health outcomesto examine association health literacy diabetes outcomes among patients type 2 diabetescrosssectional observational study 408 english spanishspeaking patients older 30 years type 2 diabetes identified clinical database 2 primary care clinics universityaffiliated public hospital san francisco calif participants enrolled completed questionnaires june december 2000 assessed patients health literacy using shortform test functional health literacy adults stofhla english spanishmost recent hemoglobin a1c hba1c level patients classified tight glycemic control hba1c lowest quartile poor control highest quartile also measured presence selfreported diabetes complicationsafter adjusting patients sociodemographic characteristics depressive symptoms social support treatment regimen years diabetes 1point decrement stofhla score hba1c value increased 002 p 02 patients inadequate health literacy less likely patients adequate health literacy achieve tight glycemic control hba1c 72 adjusted odds ratio 057 95 confidence interval ci 032100 p 05 likely poor glycemic control hba1c 95 adjusted 203 95 ci 111373 p 02 report retinopathy adjusted 233 95 ci 119457 p 01among primary care patients type 2 diabetes inadequate health literacy independently associated worse glycemic control higher rates retinopathy inadequate health literacy may contribute disproportionate burden diabetesrelated problems among disadvantaged populations efforts focus developing evaluating interventions improve diabetes outcomes among patients inadequate health literacy