HEALTH LITERACY AMONG ADULT TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM) PATIENTS IN KLANG HEALTH DISTRICT MALAYSIA

Authors

  • Tan Wen Yi Department of Social Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Maslinor Ismail Department of Social Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Keywords:

Diabetes mellitus, Glycaemic control, Health Literacy, Newest Vital Sign, Primary care

Abstract

Introduction: Health literacy (HL) has been linked to various health outcomes among diabetics. However, there is no study exploring HL among diabetics within Malaysia. 

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study examined HL levels among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients, and its association with glycaemic control. 

Results: The response rate was 93.7%; whereby 289 T2DM patients from three public health clinics participated in the study between July 2018 and August 2018. 83.1% of the participants had limited HL (high likelihood of limited HL: 64.4%, adequate HL: 16.9%) and there was no association between HL and glycaemic control (P-value = 0.839). Forward logistic regression showed that limited HL was associated with age (OR 3.231; 95% CI 1.611-6.482) and education level (OR 7.290; 95% CI 3.547-14.984). 

Conclusion: As our findings show, many T2DM patients have a limited HL, especially among those who are older and those who have a lower education level, diabetics should be consistently advised by using layman’s terms to improve their understanding.

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Published

2020-08-18

Issue

Vol 23 Suppl 1 (2020)

Section

Research article

License

All authors agree that the article, if editorially accepted for publication, shall be licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 to allow others to freely access, copy and use research provided the author is correctly attributed, unless otherwise stated. All articles are available online without charge or other barriers to access. However, anyone wishing to reproduce large quantities of an article (250+) should inform the publisher. Any opinion expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not reflect that of the University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.