Mark Williams|David W. Baker|Ruth M. Parker|Joanne R. Nurss
Relationship of Functional Health Literacy to Patients' Knowledge of Their Chronic Disease
Emory University
inadequate functional health literacy common impact patients chronic diseases well describedto examine among patients hypertension diabetes relationship functional health literacy level knowledge chronic disease treatmentwe conducted crosssectional survey patients hypertension diabetes presenting general medicine clinics 2 urban public hospitals literacy measured test functional health literacy adults knowledge illness assessed patients diabetes hypertension using 21 hypertension 10 diabetes questions based key elements educational materials used clinicsa total 402 patients hypertension 114 patients diabetes enrolled mean sd knowledge scores patients hypertension inadequate n 189 marginal n 49 adequate n 155 literacy 132 31 153 22 165 23 respectively range 420 p 001 total 92 patients hypertension adequate literacy levels knew blood pressure reading 160100 mm hg high compared 55 lowest reading level p 001 mean sd knowledge scores patients diabetes inadequate n 50 marginal n 13 adequate n 51 literacy 58 21 68 19 81 16 respectively range 110 p 001 total 94 patients diabetes adequate functional health literacy knew symptoms hypoglycemia compared 50 inadequate literacy p 001inadequate functional health literacy poses major barrier educating patients chronic diseases current efforts overcome appear unsuccessful