Purpose: The aims of this study were to identify the levels and factors influencing health literacy, disease-related knowledge, and health behavior in patients with coronary artery disease.
Methods: Structured questionnaires were used with a convenie...
Purpose: The aims of this study were to identify the levels and factors influencing health literacy, disease-related knowledge, and health behavior in patients with coronary artery disease.
Methods: Structured questionnaires were used with a convenience sample of 121 subjects who were hospitalized patients with coronary artery disease. The research instruments were KHLAT (Korea Health Literacy Assessment Tool), KFHLT (Korea Functional Health Literacy Test), and disease-related knowledge and health behavior compliance measurement for patients with coronary artery disease. Data analysis was done by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression using the PASW (SPSS ver. 18.0) program.
Results: The average linguistic health literacy score was 32.23±21.46, the functional health literacy score was 6.51±5.08, the disease-related knowledge score was 17.85±9.01, and the health behavior score was 61.66±15.53. Education level (β=.351), income (β=.269), and perceived health status (β=.206) were significant factors in the study, explaining 41.8% of the variance in linguistic health literacy. Education level (β=.228), income (β=.272), age (β=-.239), and family support (β=.220) were significant factors, which explained 50.9% of the variance in functional health literacy. Education level (β=.268), linguistic health literacy (β=.381), and functional health literacy (β=.273) were significant factors, which explained 72.1% of the variance in disease-related knowledge. Health literacy independently explained 14.8% of disease-related knowledge. Education level (β=.267), family support (β=.204), and linguistic health literacy (β=.396) were significant factors, which explained 45.1% of the variance in health behavior. Linguistic health literacy specifically explained 9.5% of health behavior.
Conclusion: The health literacy of patients with coronary artery disease was generally low-level. Health literacy was associated with disease-
related knowledge and health behavior, influencing the factors of disease-
related knowledge and health behavior. These findings show that health care providers need to pay attention to patients with coronary artery disease who have low health literacy. Nursing interventions to improve health literacy need to be developed and could promote disease-related knowledge and health behavior in patients with coronary artery disease.