Health literacy levels of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Health literacy is defined as an individual's ability to access, understand and use information to make informed decisions. This study aimed to assess health literacy levels and explore the relationship between health literacy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) severity. A cross-sectional study of health literacy in patients with COPD used the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) and the Medical Research Council Breathlessness Scale to assess COPD severity. HLQ domains of 'having sufficient information to manage my health', 'actively managing health', and 'understanding health information' scored most highly. Patients with the greatest COPD severity had lower scores in the domain 'having sufficient information to manage my health', but indicated an improved ability to appraise health information. Patients with increased COPD severity have greater self-reported skills in appraising health information, but they report reduced confidence in having sufficient information to manage their health. This study highlights the importance of considering health literacy levels, as this could be a barrier to successful self-management.