Analysis of Health Literacy Levels and Influencing Factors of Chronic Disease Patients under Active Health Perspective

Abstract

Background With the aging of the population, chronic diseases have become a significant public health challenge. Enhancing health literacy among individuals with chronic diseases can foster a proactive approach to health management, leading to improved health outcomes. Objective This study aims to examine the current status of health literacy and its influencing factors among patients with chronic diseases in Shanghai, with the goal of providing theoretical support for future health promotion strategies and chronic disease management programs. Methods From February to May 2023, a multi-stage stratified random sampling method was employed. Based on the resident population size and the number of community health service centers in each administrative district of Shanghai, 1 to 4 community health service centers were randomly selected from 16 districts, totaling 28 centers. A questionnaire survey was administered to chronic disease patients visiting these centers. A general information questionnaire was used to collect demographic and clinical data, and a health literacy scale was applied to assess the health literacy levels of the respondents. Results Of the 768 chronic disease patients surveyed, 13 questionnaires with incomplete data were excluded, resulting in a final sample of 755 patients, with an effective response rate of 98.3%. Among the respondents, 435 (57.62%) exhibited good health literacy. In terms of specific dimensions, 664 patients (87.95%) demonstrated the ability to obtain information, 618 (81.85%) expressed willingness to provide economic support, 559 (74.04%) showed communication and interaction skills, and 646 (85.56%) were willing to improve their health. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that female gender (OR=1.549, 95%CI=1.148-2.091) and family doctor contracting (OR=1.634, 95%CI=1.162-2.299) were significant influencing factors for health literacy among chronic disease patients (P<0.05). Furthermore, the proportion of patients with stable disease control in the past year was significantly higher among those with adequate health literacy compared to those without (P<0.05) . Conclusion The overall health literacy of chronic disease patients in Shanghai requires improvement. Gender and contracting with a family doctor are key factors influencing health literacy levels. Targeted interventions are recommended to expand the coverage and enhance the quality of family doctor services, thereby improving health literacy. These findings provide valuable insights for promoting proactive health management in chronic disease care.

Keywords

• health literacy|chronic disease management|family doctor contracting|active health|root cause analysis