Health Literacy and Glycemic Control among Diabetes Patients at Nongprue Health Promoting Hospital

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to explore the level of health literacy and examine the association between health literacy and the control of sugar levels in diabetic patients at Nongprue Health Promoting Hospital. Participants included 50 people with type 2 diabetes who were registered at Nongprue Health Promoting Hospital. A convenience sampling technique was adopted. Data were collected by using questionnaires that included general information and an assessment of health literacy from August 2020 to September 2020. The results showed that most of the participants were female (76%), and the mean age was 65.26 ± 10.10. Fasting blood sugar (£160 mg/dL) was controlled in 74% of type 2 diabetes patients. Overall, health literacy was fair (mean score: 41.51 10.74), with 46% having low health literacy. The well-controlled FBS patients had a higher level of health literacy than the poorly controlled group (mean scores of 43.71 ± 10.59 and 39.93 ± 7.75, respectively). Furthermore, diabetes patients over the age of 65 had higher mean scores than those under the age of 65 (43.72 ±8.24 vs. 39.78± 12.20, respectively). There was little correlation between health literacy and blood sugar control in diabetic patients over 65 years old (r -0.393, p < 0.05).

Based on the results of this study, healthcare providers should plan activities or projects to improve health literacy in all areas and encourage self-care behaviors, especially in diabetic patients over 65 years old.