The Relationship Between Health Literacy Level and Self-Care Behaviors in Patients with Diabetes

Abstract

Background

The most important factor in controlling diabetes is self-care behaviors; improving self-care behaviors is the first step in helping patients to better control and manage their diseases and health literacy is recognized as a vital and important indicator of outcomes and costs in healthcare. Therefore, the effectiveness of health-care systems requires that people have the desirable health literacy level. Therefore, this research intended to study the relationship between health literacy levels in patients with diabetes and their self-care behaviors.

Patients and Methods

This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted during two months on 400 patients with diabetes selected using the census method in diabetes clinics in Mashhad County. Information was collected through a demographic survey questionnaire, the Health Literacy Questionnaire and a self-care behavior questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 21 and Spearman correlation coefficient, the independent t-test, and ANOVA.

Results

The total mean score for self-care was 33.52 (SD±13.27). There was a significant relationship between self-care and health literacy in this study (P <0.05) so that people with higher levels of self-care literacy had better self-care behaviors. There was also a significant relationship between education level and monthly income and self-care behaviors and health literacy (P <0.001).

Conclusion

Patients received an average score for self-care behaviors. Given the impact of health literacy on patients’ self-care behaviors, and considering its inclusion in educational, therapeutic, and caregiver programs, it is possible to reduce complications in patients, and improve their quality of life, by improving their self-care behaviors. Special attention should also be paid to health literacy levels of the audience when designing the related educational programs.

Keywords:

• health literacy
• diabetes
• self-care

Ethics and Consent Statement

This study is based on a research project approved by the Ethics Committee of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences with the code of ethics IR.MUMS.REC.1398.006. All procedures performed in this study were by the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable. All project participants were informed of the project goals and have completed a written consent form and they have been assured of confidentiality. This research project is funded by Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to all respected professors, clinics, comprehensive health centers and participants in this study, and we wish God the best for each of these dear ones. The authors thank the many colleagues whose vignettes about dilemmas of improving quality shaped this paper, and the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.