Health Literacy Influences Heart Failure Knowledge Attainment but Not Self-Efficacy for Self-Care or Adherence to Self-Care over Time

Authors

Aleda M.H. Chen, Cedarville UniversityFollow
Karen S. Yehle
Nancy M. Albert
Kenneth F. Ferraro
Holly L. Mason
Matthew M. Murawski
Kimberly S. Plake

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2013

Journal Title

Nursing Research and Practice

ISSN

2090-1429

Volume

2013

First Page

1

Last Page

8

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/353290

PubMed ID

23984058

PubMed Central® ID

PMC3741959

Abstract

Background. Inadequate health literacy may be a barrier to gaining knowledge about heart failure (HF) self-care expectations, strengthening self-efficacy for self-care behaviors, and adhering to self-care behaviors over time. Objective. To examine if health literacy is associated with HF knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-care adherence longitudinally. Methods. Prior to education, newly referred patients at three HF clinics (, age: years) completed assessments of health literacy, HF knowledge, self-efficacy, and adherence to self-care at baseline, 2, and 4 months. Repeated measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni-adjusted alpha levels was used to test longitudinal outcomes. Results. Health literacy was associated with HF knowledge longitudinally () but was not associated with self-efficacy self-care adherence. In posthoc analyses, participants with inadequate health literacy had less HF knowledge than participants with adequate () but not marginal () health literacy. Conclusions. Adequate health literacy was associated with greater HF knowledge but not self-efficacy or adherence to self-care expectations over time. If nurses understand patients’ health literacy level, they may educate patients using methods that promote understanding of concepts. Since interventions that promote self-efficacy and adherence to self-care were not associated with health literacy level, new approaches must be examined.

Keywords

Health education, health literacy, heart failure, self-care, adult, affect, cognition, curriculum, nursing education, pharmacy education, empathy, factor analysis, statistical, female, humans, male, nurse-patient relations, professional-patient relations, psychometrics, questionnaires, reproducibility of results, nursing students, pharmacy students, young adult

Comments

Article 353290

Recommended Citation

Chen, Aleda M.H.; Yehle, Karen S.; Albert, Nancy M.; Ferraro, Kenneth F.; Mason, Holly L.; Murawski, Matthew M.; and Plake, Kimberly S., "Health Literacy Influences Heart Failure Knowledge Attainment but Not Self-Efficacy for Self-Care or Adherence to Self-Care over Time" (2013). Pharmacy Practice Faculty Publications. 110.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/pharmacy_practice_publications/110