The Relationship between Health Literacy and Self-Management among Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients in Chanthaburi Province
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Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a growing public health problem in Chanthaburi Province. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between health literacy and self-management among COPD patients in Chanthaburi Province, following the GOLD 2024 guidelines. A descriptive correlational reseach was conducted on 360 COPD patients aged 45 years and older who were admitted to the outpatient respiratory departments of hospitals in Chanthaburi Province. Data were collected between 20 November 2025 and 10 March 2026. The instruments included a health literacy interview questionnaire (adapted from the FCCHL) covering three aspects: basic, interactive, and critical, and a self-management questionnaire covering three aspects: treatment, lifestyle roles, and emotions. These instruments underwent content validity (CVI = 0.93) and reliability testing (Cronbach's alpha = 0.80). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient.
The study found that the majority of the sample were male (63.10%), with an average age of 69.5 years (31.95%), and had a primary education level (79.73%). Overall health literacy was at a moderate level ( = 31.54, SD = 11.37), while overall self-management was at a high level (
= 3.98, SD = 0.72). Overall health literacy had a moderate positive correlation with self-management (r = 0.314, p < 0.01). When considering individual aspects, basic and critical health literacy had a high positive correlation with self-management (r = 0.800 and r = 0.801, respectively, p < 0.01), while interaction had a moderate correlation (r = 0.667, p < 0.01).
The study demonstrates that health literacy, especially basic and critical aspects, is a key factor in promoting self-management behaviors among patients. Therefore, healthcare professionals should develop educational programs that focus on enhancing basic knowledge and analytical thinking skills. And communication skills to help patients make effective healthcare decisions, leading to a sustainable improvement in their quality of life.
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References
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