Health literacy among patients with type2 diabetes mellitus who receive services in government hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health, Phetchabun Province

Abstract

This study aims to measure the level of health literacy. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. The sample consisted of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who were followed at three government hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health, Phetchabun province, in 2019. The stratified and two-stage cluster random sampling was used. A sample of 544 patients with T2DM was collected. Data were collected by answering a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, frequency, percentage, and mean to measure the level and describe health literacy. All analyses were conducted using R statistical language (v3.2.4). The results showed that two-thirds of patients with T2DM had a high level of health literacy. When considering each aspect has a high level of health literacy in reading essential medical words (82.7%), need for help with health information (71.5%), and ability to access or seek health information (67.6%). We found that they had a low level of health literacy in terms of comprehension of numbers (high level of only 27.6%), cognition of disease and treatment (high level of only 34.9%), and decision-making (high level of only 40.4%). Also, Health personnel should organize activities to enhance their skills and experiences in numerical comprehension and understanding of the disease and its actions and decision-making in different situations. To provide patients with type 2 diabetes with a high level of health literacy.