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Health literacy and physical and psychological wellbeing in Japanese adults.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Health literacy and physical and psychological wellbeing in Japanese adults.
Authors: Tokuda Y (AUTHOR), Doba N (AUTHOR), Butler JP (AUTHOR), Paasche-Orlow MK (AUTHOR)
Source: Patient Education & Counseling. Jun2009, Vol. 75 Issue 3, p411-417. 7p.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of low health literacy and investigate the relationship between low health literacy and physical and psychological wellbeing in the Japanese general population. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in a national sample of Japanese adults. Health literacy was measured by self-report using the validated single-item screening question, 'How confident are you filling out forms by yourself?' Wellbeing was measured with the physical and psychological domains of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-BREF. Effect sizes were computed by dividing the mean difference in scores by the standard deviation of the scores of all participants. RESULTS: In 1040 adult enrollees (mean age, 57-year-old; women, 52%), there were 161 (15.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 13.3-17.7%) with low health literacy. Individuals with low health literacy reported lower physical wellbeing (60.6 vs. 71.7, p<0.001) and psychological wellbeing (59.7 vs. 68.3, p<0.001) compared with those with adequate health literacy. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, health risk behaviors and chronic conditions, these differences were still significant (physical wellbeing, p<0.001; psychological wellbeing, p<0.001). The effect sizes of the difference of scores were moderate for physical wellbeing (-0.55) and also for psychological wellbeing (-0.44). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of self-reported low health literacy in Japanese adults is substantial and it is independently associated with poorer physical and mental wellbeing. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Efforts to monitor health literacy and to evaluate causal pathways to poor wellbeing should be encouraged in the Japanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of low health literacy and investigate the relationship between low health literacy and physical and psychological wellbeing in the Japanese general population. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in a national sample of Japanese adults. Health literacy was measured by self-report using the validated single-item screening question, 'How confident are you filling out forms by yourself?' Wellbeing was measured with the physical and psychological domains of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-BREF. Effect sizes were computed by dividing the mean difference in scores by the standard deviation of the scores of all participants. RESULTS: In 1040 adult enrollees (mean age, 57-year-old; women, 52%), there were 161 (15.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 13.3-17.7%) with low health literacy. Individuals with low health literacy reported lower physical wellbeing (60.6 vs. 71.7, p<0.001) and psychological wellbeing (59.7 vs. 68.3, p<0.001) compared with those with adequate health literacy. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, health risk behaviors and chronic conditions, these differences were still significant (physical wellbeing, p<0.001; psychological wellbeing, p<0.001). The effect sizes of the difference of scores were moderate for physical wellbeing (-0.55) and also for psychological wellbeing (-0.44). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of self-reported low health literacy in Japanese adults is substantial and it is independently associated with poorer physical and mental wellbeing. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Efforts to monitor health literacy and to evaluate causal pathways to poor wellbeing should be encouraged in the Japanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:07383991
DOI:10.1016/j.pec.2009.03.031