RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Evaluation of a new performance-based health literacy measurement tool for individuals with chronic airways diseases
JF Respiratory Care
FD American Association for Respiratory Care
SP respcare.10441
DO 10.4187/respcare.10441
A1 Iraj Poureslami
A1 Ric Hohn
A1 Jacek A. Kopec
A1 Rick Sawatzky
A1 Shawn D. Aaron
A1 Samir Gupta
A1 Roger Goldstein
A1 Louis-Philippe Boulet
A1 Noah Tregobov
A1 Jessica Shum
YR 2022
UL http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/early/2022/11/21/respcare.10441.1.abstract
AB Background: Low health literacy (HL) is a global challenge. HL is positively correlated with chronic airways disease (CAD) desirable outcomes. Despite the importance of HL in disease management, current HL measurement tools are suboptimal. As part of a multi-stage project to develop a performance-based, disease-specific Vancouver Airways Health Literacy Tool (VAHLT) for individuals with CAD, this study assessed the relationships between VAHLT scores and CAD patient characteristics. The primary aim of the study is to provide preliminary evidence of construct validity of the VAHLT.Methods: A cross-sectional study design was applied. Study subjects were recruited from 6 specialty care clinics to complete the VAHLT measurement tool. Demographic and clinical data, including quality of life (QOL) and disease control, were collected via validated questionnaires. Study participants also completed spirometry test. Inferential analysis was conducted using mean difference testing and correlational methods.Results: 320 subjects were recruited, and after imputing missing data, 315 were ultimately analyzed. Participants were predominantly female (61%), white (83%), had post high-school education (74%), with a mean age of 65.2 (Standard Deviation (SD) = 13.2) years. Age was significantly negatively correlated with VAHLT scores (p = .004); subjects with post-high school education had significantly higher VAHLT scores than those with a high school education or less (p < .001). No significant sex or ethnicity related differences in VAHLT scores were observed. For clinical outcomes, no significant differences were found between VAHLT scores and disease severity or measures of QOL and asthma control.Conclusions: We report a CAD-specific HL measurement tool developed with involvement of patients and professionals. Age and education were highly correlated with HL, which emphasizes the importance of addressing these factors in HL interventions among CAD patients.