Distributed health literacy among people living with type 2 diabetes in Portugal: Defining levels of awareness and support

This study embraces a patient‐centred and narrative‐oriented notion of health literacy, exploring how social networks and personal experiences constitute distributed health literacy (DHL) by mapping out health literacy mediators of each individual and how they enable self‐management skills and knowledge of health conditions. Semi‐structured interviews with 26 patients with type 2 diabetes were conducted in a Primary Care Center of Porto (Portugal) from October 2014 to December 2015. Data were collected based on McGill Illness Narrative Interview (MINI). Following the grounded theory, interviews were analysed as case‐based and process‐tracing‐oriented. Three awareness narratives emerged: (i) a narrative of minimisation revealing minimal impact of diabetes in patients’ lives and daily routines, resignation towards “inevitable” consequences of the diagnosis and dependence of a large network of health literacy mediators; (ii) a narrative of empathy, where patients tended to mention readjustments in their lives by following medical recommendations regarding medication without criticism and with few health literacy mediators; (iii) a narrative of disruption, with patients highlighting the huge impact of diabetes on their lives and their individual responsibility and autonomy with respect to the management of diabetes and the search for alternatives to medication, relying on a very restrictive network of mediators. Exploring meanings given to diagnosis, identifying health mediators and analysing the structure of social networks can contribute to understand the distributed nature of health literacy. Assessing DHL can assist health professionals and those providing care in the community in promoting health literacy and providing models for a more patient‐centred health system.     

The association of health literacy with illness perceptions,medication beliefs,and medication adherence among individuals with type 2 diabetes

Background

Beliefs in medications and illness perceptions is associated with medication adherence among individuals with diabetes and several adherence interventions focus on patients' beliefs in medicines and illnesses. Though health literacy is important in medication adherence, the relationship between health literacy and medication adherence remains inconclusive; thus raising the question as to whether health literacy has an amplifying or reducing effect on the relationship between beliefs and adherence.

Health and medication literacy and the desire to participate in pharmacotherapy decision making – comparison of two countries

Background

Health and medication literacy may be important factors in the outcomes of medical treatment. Similarly, shared decision making or lack of it may influence patient's behavior and adherence to medications.

2017年榆林市居民健康素养监测现状分析

目的 了解2017年榆林市居民健康素养现状,为进一步提高居民健康素养水平提供科学依据和决策支持。方法 采取多阶段分层整群随机抽样的方法,经过五个阶段抽样,对城乡居民4 050人进行问卷调查。结果 2017年榆林市居民健康素养总体水平为3.31%。居民基本知识和理念、健康生活方式与行为和基本技能素养水平分别为8.37%、2.77%和5.46%。居民六类健康问题素养水平由高到低依次为：安全与急救、科学健康观、传染病防治、健康信息、基本医疗和慢性病防治素养,分别为22.43%、18.60%、7.24%、6.67%、5.98%和3.90%。结论 重视健康知识传播的同时,重视健康行为干预和技能培训,全面加强健康教育,提升居民健康素养水平。     

Evaluating the readability and suitability of construction occupational safety and health materials designed for workers

Introduction

Printed materials for training and hazard communication are an essential part of occupational safety and health programs, but must be understood by their intended audience.

Methods

Researchers collected 103 safety training handouts, brochures, and Safety Data Sheets and scored them for readability and suitability using four standard health communication instruments: the SMOG test, the Flesch‐Kincaid Reading Ease Assessment, the SAM (Suitability Assessment of Materials), and CCI (the CDC Clear Communication Index).

Results

Some of the materials used unfamiliar and technical terms. The SAM and CCI checklists revealed several elements of design and layout known to facilitate communication and comprehension, but missing from most of the materials scored.

Conclusion

Occupational safety and health professionals preparing curricula and handouts for distribution to workers should incorporate some form of readability and suitability assessment to help ensure their written materials are clear and comprehensible to all segments of their audience.

     

儿童肥胖健康素养量表家长版的编制及评价

目的 编制“儿童肥胖健康素养量表(家长版)”,并评价其信度和效度。方法 依据健康素养内涵,基于世界卫生组织(WHO)提出的终止儿童肥胖相关内容,构建儿童肥胖健康素养量表(家长版)条目池,然后在合肥市小学生家长中进行调查,应用探索性因子分析和验证性因子分析对量表的效度进行检验,应用内部一致性对量表信度进行检验。结果 本次研究共有2 170名小学生家长参与调查,通过敏感性分析、代表性分析、独立性分析及Cronbach′s α系数进行条目筛选,再通过探索性因子分析和验证性因子分析,最终形成29个条目的儿童肥胖健康素养量表(家长版),量表构建成为健康意识、健康知识、健康行为、健康认知及操作技能5个维度。验证性因子分析得到近似误差均方根(root mean square error of approximation,RMSEA)为0.047,残差均方根(root of the mean square residual,RMR)为0.026,拟合优度指数(goodness-of-fit index,GFI)、标准拟合指数(normed fit index,NFI)、相对拟合指数(relative fit index,RFI)和比较拟合指数(comparative fit index,CFI)均接近1,显示模型拟合较好。量表的Cronbach′s α系数为0.833,问卷各维度的Cronbach′s α系数在0.618~0.866之间。结论 所编制的儿童肥胖健康素养量表(家长版)具有较好的信度和效度。     

Oral health literacy among adult patients seeking dental care

BACKGROUND: This study examined the association of knowledge, dental care visits and oral health status with oral health literacy in dental patients. METHODS: The authors administered to adult patients in two private dental offices the short version of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-30 (REALD-30), a word-recognition test. An interview provided primary predictor variables for REALD-30 and variables that would serve as controls in multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: About 29 percent of the sample scored below 22 on the 30-point test, a score that the authors defined as a low literacy level. Those with incorrect knowledge (odds ratio [OR] = 5.98; P < .01) and fair-to-poor oral health status (OR = 3.08; P = .06) were more likely to have a low literacy level than were their reference groups. Not having had a dental care visit in the last year was not associated with literacy (OR = 2.26; P = .17). A change from an unfavorable to favorable category for the primary predictor variables would decrease the probability of having a low literacy level by 35 to 61 percent. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of patients may have a low level of oral health literacy, which possibly interferes with their ability to process and understand oral health information. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Providers should identify patients who are having difficulty understanding and using dental health information and address their needs.     

我国省级公共图书馆健康信息素养教育现状及发展对策

结合我国健康信息素养教育的社会背景,通过网络调查的方法获取我国省级公共图书馆健康信息资源建设、健康信息素养教育活动及健康信息传播媒介等相关数据,分析我国省级公共图书馆健康信息素养教育现状。结果显示,我国省级公共图书馆健康信息素养教育工作卓有成效,但大多数图书馆在健康信息资源建设、健康信息素养教育活动安排、健康馆员人才储备、健康信息公开质量等方面仍存在不足之处。对此,提出相应的改进建议和发展对策,为推动公共图书馆加快改进健康信息素养教育体系的步伐、提高健康信息素养教育工作水平提供借鉴和参考。