Patient Preference and Adherence (Jan 2023)
Evaluation of Health Literacy Levels and Associated Factors Among Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome and Heart Failure in Qatar
Abstract
Marwa Elbashir,1,2 Maguy Saffouh ElHajj,1 Daniel Rainkie,1,3 Nadir Kheir,4 Fatima Hamou,5 Sara Abdulrhim,6 Ahmed Mahfouz,5 Sumaya Alyafei,5 Ahmed Awaisu1 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; 2Pharmacy Department, Airport Health Center, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 3Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; 4College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 5Pharmacy Department, Heart Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 6Pharmacy Department, Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, QatarCorrespondence: Ahmed Awaisu, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar, Tel +974 4403 5596, Fax +974 4403 5551, Email [email protected]: To determine the prevalence of inadequate health literacy and its associated risk factors among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and/or heart failure (HF) in Qatar.Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted among patients with ACS and/or HF attending the national Heart Hospital in Qatar. Health literacy was assessed using the abbreviated version of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA) and the Three-item Brief Health Literacy Screen (3-item BHLS).Results: Three hundred patients with ACS and/or HF, majority male (88%) and non-Qatari (94%), participated in the study. The median (IQR) age of the participants was 55 (11) years. The prevalence of inadequate to marginal health literacy ranged between 36% and 54%. There were statistically significant differences in health literacy level between patients based on their marital status (p=0.010), education (p≤ 0.001), ability to speak any of Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, or other languages (p-values ≤ 0.001 to 0.035), country of origin (p≤ 0.001), occupation (p≤ 0.001), and receiving information from a pharmacist (p=0.008), a physiotherapist (p≤ 0.001), or a nurse (p=0.004).Conclusion: Inadequate health literacy is common among patients with ACS and/or HF. This study suggests a need for developing strategies to assist healthcare professionals in improving health literacy skills among patients with ACS and HF. A combination of interventions may be needed to improve patients’ understanding of their disease and medications, and ultimately overall health outcomes.Keywords: health literacy, cardiovascular diseases, acute coronary syndrome, heart failure
