Health Literacy among Adult Patients with Chronic Diseases in Sabah

Introduction Health literacy (HL) determines the motivation and ability of individuals to access, understand, appraise and utilise information in ways which promote and maintain good health. Limited health literacy leads to poorer health outcomes and often incurs higher healthcare expenditures. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted across Sabah public health facilities between February and October 2020. Health literacy was measured using 12-item Short Form Health Literacy Survey(HLS-SF-12) and comprised of 3 domains (health care, disease prevention and health promotion). The HL index score was categorised as 'limited'(0-33), 'sufficient'(>33-42) and 'excellent'(>42-50). Results A total of 337 patients were recruited. About half were male(n=172, 51%) with mean age of 52.6±12.3 years old. The top 3 comorbids were hypertension(n=285, 84.6%), dyslipidemia(n=196, 58.2%) and diabetes mellitus(n=161, 47.8%). Health information was mainly accessed from television(n=285, 84.6%), smartphone(n=253, 75.1%) and radio(n=161, 47.8%). The median HL index score was 31.94(IQR 25-37.5), with 54.6% patients(n=184) having limited health literacy. The lowest median score was found in the context of disease prevention, 11(IQR 10-13) as well as when judging health information, 8(IQR 7-9). Age (adjusted b: -0.14), owning insurance (adjusted b: 3.19) and using smartphone to access health information (adjusted b: 6.93) demonstrated significant relationship with HL index. Final model equation of HL index was found to be 32.58 - (0.14*age) + (3.19*insurance) + (6.93*smartphone). Conclusion The limited health literacy level observed in Sabah indicated the need of tailoring interventional programmes to vulnerable groups, especially the elderly. The use of digital platform, particularly smartphone, should be enhanced in disseminating health-related information and educating the public on critical judgement skills. [Disclaimer: Abstract text might vary slightly from what is displayed in the e-poster]This poster was submitted to the 14th National Conference for Clinical Research (NCCR) in August 18-20, 2021. https://nccrconference.com.my