Measuring Health Literacy Among People Living with HIV in a Medical University Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVES:  The study aimed to evaluate the level of health literacy among people living with HIV.  MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among HIV-infected adult patients. We recruited 530 adults with HIV patients. The level of health literacy was evaluated with the Thai version of the HIV-HLT. RESULTS: The participants had an average age of 42.66 ± 11.26 years. The majority of the participants are male (65.8%). 92.6% had straight sexual orientation. 57.6% of participants had been diagnosed with HIV infection for more than five years. 86.6% had a CD4 count of more than 200 cells/cm3, and 68.7% had a viral load of less than 20 copies/ml. Most participants (62.1%) had adequate HIV health literacy. The CD4 count of greater than 200 cells/cm3 and viral load of less than 20 copies/ml were also associated with adequate health literacy. Moreover, participants with no previous history of opportunistic infections within the past six months were associated with adequate HIV health literacy. CONCLUSION: HIV health literacy is significantly associated with CD4 count and viral load outcomes. Therefore, educating patients about the disease and treatment is crucial in reducing the negative consequences of the disease.