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BMC Health Services Research
Published in: BMC Health Services Research 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Health literacy of recently hospitalised patients: a cross-sectional survey using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ)

Authors: Rebecca L. Jessup, Richard H. Osborne, Alison Beauchamp, Allison Bourne, Rachelle Buchbinder

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Health literacy is simply defined as an individual’s ability to access, understand and use information in ways that promote and maintain good health. Lower health literacy has been found to be associated with increased emergency department presentations and potentially avoidable hospitalisations. This study aimed to determine the health literacy of hospital inpatients, and to examine if associations exist between different dimensions of their health literacy, sociodemographic characteristics and hospital services use.

Methods

A written survey was sent to 3,252 people aged ≥18 years in English, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian or Greek. The survey included demographic and health questions, and the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ). The HLQ is a multidimensional instrument comprising nine independent scales. Use of hospital services was measured by length of stay, number of admissions in 12 months and number of emergency department presentations. Effect size (ES) for standardised differences in means described the magnitude of differences in HLQ scale scores between demographic and socioeconomic groups.

Results

385 questionnaires were returned (13%); mean age 64 years (SD 17), 49% female. Aged ≥65 years (55%), using the Internet < once a month (37%), failure to complete high school (67%), low household income (39%), receiving means-tested government benefits (61%) and being from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background (24%), were all associated with lower scores in some health literacy scales. Being aged ≥65 years, not currently employed, receiving government benefits, and being from a CALD background were also associated with increased use of some hospital services. There was no association between lower scores on any HLQ scale and greater use of hospital services.

Conclusion

We found no association between lower health literacy and greater use of hospital health services. However increased age, having a CALD background and not speaking English at home were all associated with having the most health literacy challenges Strategies to address these are needed to reduce health inequalities.
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Metadata
Title
Health literacy of recently hospitalised patients: a cross-sectional survey using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ)
Authors
Rebecca L. Jessup
Richard H. Osborne
Alison Beauchamp
Allison Bourne
Rachelle Buchbinder
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1973-6

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