K. Jeppesen|James D. Coyle|William F. Miser
Screening Questions to Predict Limited Health Literacy: A Cross-Sectional Study of Patients With Diabetes Mellitus
The Ohio State University|The Ohio State University|The Ohio State University
purpose limited health literacy increasingly recognized barrier receiving adequate health careidentifying patients risk poor health outcomes secondary limited health literacy currently responsibility cliniciansour objective identify screening questions demographics independently predict limited health literacy could thus help clinicians individualize patient educationmethods august 2006 july 2007 asked 225 patients treated diabetes academic primary care offi ce several questions regarding reading ability part larger study 57 response ratewe built logistic regression model predicting limited health literacy determine independent predictive properties questions demographic variablespatients classifi ed limited health literacy short test functional health literacy adults stofhla score less 23the potential predictors evaluated selfrated reading ability highest education level attained singleitem literacy screener sils result patients reading enjoyment age sex raceresults overall 151 patients limited health literacyin fi nal model 5 potential predictors independently associated increased odds limited health literacyspecifi cally patients likely limited health literacy poorer selfrated reading ability odds ratio per point increase model 337 95 confi dence interval ci 171663more frequently needed help reading written health materials assessed sils 203 95 ci 126326had lower education level 189 95 ci 112318were male 446 95 ci 1531299and nonwhite race 373 95 ci 1041340these associations confounded agethe area receiver operating characteristic curve 09212conclusions selfrated reading ability sils result highest education level attained sex race independently predict whether patient limited health literacyclinicians aware associations ask questions identify patients riskwe propose sos mnemonic based fi ndings help clinicians wishing individualize patient education