Effects of health literacy on type 2 diabetic patients’ glycemic control, self-management, and quality of life

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the pathway in which health literacy affects diabetic patients' quality of life (QoL) with self-care management skills and glycemic control levels (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]) mediating the relationship. Methods:A cross-sectional study carried out between April 2019 and September 2019. A convenience sample of participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited from 3 primary healthcare centers, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using structured interviews and HbA1c levels were collected from medical files. Structural equation modeling was also used.Results: Among the 256 participants, 27.3% had a marginal level of health literacy and 35.5% had an inadequate level of health literacy. Health literacy positively affects self-care management, glycemic control (HbA1c), and QoL directly and indirectly.

Eid-al-Fitr festivity and Ramadan fasting attitude among individuals with diabetes from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

“…17 This disparity could also be attributed to differences in health literacy. According to the literature, 37.1% of Saudi individuals with diabetes have adequate health literacy, 18 while 15.2% had adequate health literacy in Pak. 19 In the present study, many of the respondents (43.2%) broke their fast a day or more because of diabetes.…”

“…This disparity could also be attributed to differences in health literacy. According to the literature, 37.1% of Saudi individuals with diabetes have adequate health literacy,18 while 15.2% had adequate health literacy in Pak 19…”

Low Health Literacy (LHL): A Devious Enemy of Patient Treatment Adherence

“…However, no relationship was found between health literacy and intentional non-adherence, which includes stopping medications when feeling better or worse [44]. Studies show that LHL is connected with poorer disease knowledge and symptom recognition, poor glycemic or dyslipidemia control, greater difficulty interpreting food labels and estimating portion sizes, lower selfefficacy, higher level of body mass index, information gap in the use of medical devices for self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), poorer communication with their providers, higher doses of insulin, more medical expenses and hospitalization among diabetes patients [45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52]. LHL is more common in people with hypertension and is associated with hypertension prevalence in selected ethnic groups [53].…”

Development and psychometric analysis of a new tool to assess food literacy in diabetic patients

“…Patients afflicted with a disease such as diabetes need specific lifelong self-care. Based on previous studies, health literacy was of key importance for the studied patients in following a specific diet [ 3 , 4 ]. Based on some studies, diabetic patients with inadequate health literacy are less aware of their disease and most likely do not follow advice given by health professionals and do not follow written instructions regarding self-care.…”

“…Studies have shown that despite extensive instruction, many diabetic patients do not pay enough attention to self-care and do not follow healthy dietary habits. Self-care is affected by multiple factors such as food literacy [ 4 , 6 ].According to previous studies, awareness of the relationship between nutrition and blood glucose levels can lead to healthy dietary behaviors in diabetic patients. Some patients are aware of the relationship between their diet and improving blood glucose levels, and accordingly readily adopt the diet suitable for a diabetic patient.…”