Health literacy and its correlates in informal caregivers of adults with memory loss.
Yun Jiang, Susan M Sereika, Jennifer H Lingler and 2 others
PMID 29129449WHAT IT FOUND
Over a third of caregivers managing medications for adults with memory loss had limited health literacy.
Their ability to understand forms and labels was worse than their reading or math skills. Older age and lower cognitive function predicted poorer literacy, but medication knowledge did not add to the model.
Key findings
0138.5% of the 91 caregivers had limited health literacy, and their document literacy scores were significantly lower than their prose and numeracy scores.
02Global cognitive function, working memory, and years of education were the main factors explaining caregiver health literacy, accounting for 54% of the variability.
03Adding medication knowledge to the statistical model did not explain any additional variability in health literacy, despite a significant correlation in bivariate analysis.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was mostly white and highly educated, limiting generalizability to other populations. Years of education was used as a proxy for academic skills, which may not accurately reflect actual reading or math ability. The cross-sectional design cannot prove that these factors cause low health literacy, only that they are associated. The medication knowledge measure only checked indications, not dosage or side effects, which may underestimate what caregivers know.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a caregiver who knows what their patient's medications are for has adequate health literacy. This study found that medication knowledge did not predict health literacy scores once cognitive ability and education were considered, and caregivers specifically struggled with understanding forms and labels.