Performance of a Brazilian population on the test of functional health literacy in adults

Revista de Saúde Pública

Maria Teresa Carthery-goulart¹  Renato Anghinah¹  Renata Areza-fegyveres¹  Valeria Santoro Bahia¹  Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki¹  Antonio Damin¹  Ana Paula Formigoni¹  Norberto Frota¹  Carla Guariglia¹  Alessandro F Jacinto¹  Eliane Mayumi Kato¹  Edson P Lima¹  Letícia Mansur¹  Daniel Moreira¹  Ana Nóbrega¹  Claudia Selitto Porto¹  Mirna L H Senaha¹  Mari-nilva Maia Da Silva¹  Jerusa Smid¹  Juliana N Souza-talarico¹  Marcia Radanovic¹  Ricardo Nitrini¹ 

[1] ,Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de NeurologiaSão Paulo SP ,Brasil

关键词: Adult;    Educational Status;    Comprehension;    Education;    Language Tests;    Questionnaires;    Validation Studies;    Health Education;    Patient Education as Topic;    Adulto;    Escolaridade;    Compreensão;    Educação;    Testes de Linguagem;    Questionários;    Estudos de Validação;    Educação em Saúde;    Educação de Pacientes como Assunto;    Adulto;    Escolaridad;    Comprensión;    Educación;    Pruebas del Lenguaje;    Cuestionario;    Estudios de Validación;    Educación en Salud;    Educación del Paciente como Asunto;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0034-89102009005000031

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the scoring obtained by an instrument, which evaluates the ability to read and understand items in the health care setting, according to education and age. METHODS: The short version of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults was administered to 312 healthy participants of different ages and years of schooling. The study was conducted between 2006 and 2007, in the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. The test includes actual materials such as pill bottles and appointment slips and measures reading comprehension, assessing the ability to read and correctly pronounce a list of words and understand both prose passages and numerical information. Pearson partial correlations and a multiple regression model were used to verify the association between its scores and education and age. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 47.3 years(sd=16.8) and the mean education was 9.7 years(sd=5; range: 1 - 17). A total of 32.4% of the sample showed literacy/numeracy deficits, scoring in the inadequate and marginal functional health literacy ranges. Among the elderly (65 years or older) this rate increased to 51.6%. There was a positive correlation between schooling and scores (r=0.74; p<0.01) and a negative correlation between age and the scores (r=-0.259; p<0.01). The correlation between the scores and age was not significant when the effects of education were held constant (rp=-0.031, p=0.584). A significant association (B=3.877, Beta =0.733; p<0.001) was found between schooling and scores. Age was not a significant predictor in this model (B=-0.035, Beta=-0.22; p=0.584). CONCLUSIONS: The short version of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults was a suitable tool to assess health literacy in the study population. The high number of individuals classified as functional illiterates in this test highlights the importance of special assistance to help them properly understand directions for healthcare.

【 授权许可】

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