Tricia A. Miller
Health literacy and adherence to medical treatment in chronic and acute illness: A meta-analysis
University of California, Riverside
use metaanalytic techniques assess average effect sizes studies 1 correlation patient health literacy medication nonmedication adherence 2 efficacy health literacy interventions improving health literacy treatment adherencepsychinfo pubmed databases searched 19482012 total 220 published articles met criteria inclusion effect sizes extracted articles coded moderatorshealth literacy positively associated adherence r014 association significantly higher among nonmedication regimens samples cardiovascular disease health literacy interventions increased health literacy r022 adherence outcomes r016 moderator analyses revealed greater intervention efficacy health literacy adherence assessed using subjective measures compared objective measures health literacy interventions greater effect adherence samples lower income racialethnic minority patients nonminority higher income samplesthis first study synthesize correlational intervention studies examining relationship health literacy adherence medication nonmedication regimensthese findings demonstrate importance health literacy efficacy health literacy interventions especially among vulnerable patient groups