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The relationship of patient reading ability to self-reported health and use of health services

Author

Listed:
  • Baker, D.W.
  • Parker, R.M.
  • Williams, M.V.
  • Clark, W.S.
  • Nurss, J.

Abstract

Objectives. This study examined the relationship of functional health literacy to self-reported health and use of health services. Methods. Patients presenting to two large, urban public hospitals in Atlanta, Ga, and Torrance, Calif, were administered a health literacy test about their overall health and use of health care services during the 3 months preceding their visit. Results. Patients with inadequate functional health literacy were more likely than patients with adequate literacy to report their health as poor. Number of years of school completed was less strongly associated with serf- reported health. Literacy was not related to regular source of care or physician visits, but patients in Atlanta with inadequate literacy were more likely than patients with adequate literacy to report a hospitalization in the previous year. Conclusions. Low literacy is strongly associated with self-reported poor health and is more closely associated with self-reported health than number of years of school completed.

Suggested Citation

  • Baker, D.W. & Parker, R.M. & Williams, M.V. & Clark, W.S. & Nurss, J., 1997. "The relationship of patient reading ability to self-reported health and use of health services," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 87(6), pages 1027-1030.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1997:87:6:1027-1030_3
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    Cited by:

    1. Esther Prins & Shannon Monnat, 2015. "Examining Associations between Self-Rated Health and Proficiency in Literacy and Numeracy among Immigrants and U.S.-Born Adults: Evidence from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Com," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-25, July.
    2. Claudia Diederichs & Susanne Jordan & Olga Domanska & Hannelore Neuhauser, 2018. "Health literacy in men and women with cardiovascular diseases and its association with the use of health care services - Results from the population-based GEDA2014/2015-EHIS survey in Germany," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Tianfeng He & Lefan Liu & Jing Huang & Guoxing Li & Xinbiao Guo, 2021. "The Community Health Supporting Environments and Residents’ Health and Well-Being: The Role of Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-22, July.
    4. Joshua G. Behr & Rafael Diaz & Muge Akpinar-Elci, 2016. "Health Service Utilization and Poor Health Reporting in Asthma Patients," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-8, June.
    5. Karen M. Davison & Vidhi Thakkar & Shen (Lamson) Lin & Lorna Stabler & Maura MacPhee & Simon Carroll & Benjamin Collins & Zachary Rezler & Jake Colautti & Chaoqun (Cherry) Xu & Esme Fuller-Thomson & B, 2021. "Interventions to Support Mental Health among Those with Health Conditions That Present Risk for Severe Infection from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Scoping Review of English and Chinese-Langu," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-22, July.
    6. Dong, Gang Nathan, 2016. "Social capital as correlate, antecedent, and consequence of health service demand in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 85-96.
    7. Angela Fagerlin & Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher & Peter A. Ubel & Aleksandra Jankovic & Holly A. Derry & Dylan M. Smith, 2007. "Measuring Numeracy without a Math Test: Development of the Subjective Numeracy Scale," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 27(5), pages 672-680, September.
    8. Yoshihiko Kadoya & Naheed Rabbani & Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan, 2022. "Insurance literacy among older people in Japan: The role of socio‐economic status," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 788-805, June.
    9. Lee, Hee Yun & Zhou, Anne Q. & Lee, Richard M. & Dillon, Amy L., 2020. "Parents’ functional health literacy is associated with children’s health outcomes: Implications for health practice, policy, and research," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    10. Barbara K Kondilis & Ismene J Kiriaze & Anastasia P Athanasoulia & Matthew E Falagas, 2008. "Mapping Health Literacy Research in the European Union: A Bibliometric Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(6), pages 1-6, June.
    11. Alves, Luiz G.A. & Andrade, José S. & Hanley, Quentin S. & Ribeiro, Haroldo V., 2019. "The hidden traits of endemic illiteracy in cities," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 515(C), pages 566-574.
    12. Robert Weech-Maldonado & Michael J. Miller & Justin C. Lord, 2017. "The Relationships among Socio-Demographics, Perceived Health, and Happiness," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(2), pages 289-302, June.
    13. Moon, Graham & Aitken, Grant & Roderick, Paul & Fraser, Simon & Rowlands, Gill, 2015. "Towards an understanding of the relationship of functional literacy and numeracy to geographical health inequalities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 185-193.
    14. Cho, Young Ik & Lee, Shoou-Yih D. & Arozullah, Ahsan M. & Crittenden, Kathleen S., 2008. "Effects of health literacy on health status and health service utilization amongst the elderly," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1809-1816, April.
    15. Hongwei Xu & Yu Xie, 2017. "Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health in China: A Reassessment with Data from the 2010–2012 China Family Panel Studies," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 132(1), pages 219-239, May.
    16. Vieri Lastrucci & Chiara Lorini & Saverio Caini & Florence Health Literacy Research Group & Guglielmo Bonaccorsi, 2019. "Health literacy as a mediator of the relationship between socioeconomic status and health: A cross-sectional study in a population-based sample in Florence," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(12), pages 1-14, December.
    17. Lisa Riemann & Johanna Sophie Lubasch & Axel Heep & Lena Ansmann, 2021. "The Role of Health Literacy in Health Behavior, Health Service Use, Health Outcomes, and Empowerment in Pediatric Patients with Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-20, November.
    18. Christopher C Stewart & Patricia A Boyle & Bryan D James & Lei Yu & S Duke Han & David A Bennett, 2018. "Associations of APOE ε4 With Health and Financial Literacy Among Community-Based Older Adults Without Dementia," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 73(5), pages 778-786.
    19. Robert M. Hamm & David E. Bard & Elaine Hsieh & Howard F. Stein, 2007. "Contingent or Universal Approaches to Patient Deficiencies in Health Numeracy," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 27(5), pages 635-637, September.
    20. Erik Angner & Michael Miller & Midge Ray & Kenneth Saag & Jeroan Allison, 2010. "Health Literacy and Happiness: A Community-based Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 95(2), pages 325-338, January.
    21. Iris Feinberg & Jan Frijters & Vicki Johnson-Lawrence & Daphne Greenberg & Elena Nightingale & Chelsea Moodie, 2016. "Examining Associations between Health Information Seeking Behavior and Adult Education Status in the U.S.: An Analysis of the 2012 PIAAC Data," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20, February.
    22. Guglielmo Bonaccorsi & Anna Romiti & Francesca Ierardi & Maddalena Innocenti & Marco Del Riccio & Silvia Frandi & Letizia Bachini & Patrizio Zanobini & Fabrizio Gemmi & Chiara Lorini, 2020. "Health-Literate Healthcare Organizations and Quality of Care in Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in Tuscany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-16, April.

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