Journal article
Health literacy and cardiovascular disease risk factors among the elderly: a study from a patient-centered medical home
The American journal of managed care, Vol.21(2), pp.140-145
02/2015
PMID: 25880363
Abstract
Health literacy (HL) influences the use of healthcare, facilitates comprehension of health risk behaviors and subsequent vulnerabilities, and provides an impetus to seek improved health outcomes with lower cost of care.
To determine the HL level of elderly patients and establish whether an association exists between HL and cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs).
A total of 150 elderly patients seeking care at a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) were administered the Nutritional Literacy Scale (NLS) and Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (STOFHLA). Sociodemographic, physiological, biochemical, and disease profile data were obtained.
The patients were 68.7% female, 67.3% African American, 4.7% smokers, and 72.5% overweight. They had a mean age of 74.6 years, 13.2 years education, body mass index of 28.9 kg/m2, systolic blood pressure of 138.5 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure of 70.7 mm Hg, fasting blood glucose of 100.6 mg/dL, and glycated hemoglobin of 6.6%. Their mean lipid values were: total cholesterol (TC), 188.0 mg/dL; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 54.3 mg/dL; low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, 111.8 mg/dL; and triglycerides, 115.8 mg/dL. The cohort had 88% hypertensives and 32% diabetics. They scored a mean of 20.9 on the NLS and 29.6 on STOFHLA, with 16% lacking adequate scores on both scales. Lower education attainment was linked to higher TC (P = .027) and LDL cholesterol (P = .023), but no association was observed between HL and all the independent CVDRFs evaluated.
The study shows that a majority of the participating elderly PCMH patients had a higher level of education (≥12 years) and an adequate level of HL. A higher level of education, but not HL, appears to be predictive of a better control of CVDRFs.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Health literacy and cardiovascular disease risk factors among the elderly: a study from a patient-centered medical home
- Creators
- Anil Aranha - Division of Geriatric Medicine, Ste 5C, Wayne State University Health Center, 4201 Saint Antoine Dr, Detroit, MI 48201-2153. E-mail: aaranha@med.wayne.eduPragnesh PatelSidakpal PanaichLavoisier Cardozo
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The American journal of managed care, Vol.21(2), pp.140-145
- PMID
- 25880363
- ISSN
- 1088-0224
- eISSN
- 1936-2692
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 02/2015
- Academic Unit
- Cardiovascular Medicine; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984094654502771
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