Health literacy, health outcomes, and the caregiver role in traumatic brain injury.
Elizabeth A Hahn, Nicholas R Boileau, Robin A Hanks and 3 others
PMID 32463261WHAT IT FOUND
Twenty-one percent of TBI caregivers had low health literacy.
These caregivers reported more burden, less satisfaction with the relationship, and poorer physical health, but no differences in mental health or caregiving ideology.
Key findings
01Twenty-one percent of the 131 caregivers had low health literacy.
02Caregivers with low health literacy reported more subjective caregiving burden, less satisfaction with the relationship with the patient, and less caregiving mastery.
03There were no differences in general mental health or caregiving ideology between health literacy groups, though the low health literacy group reported poorer physical health.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Convenience sampling was used, which limits generalizability, particularly regarding racial/ethnic minorities and male caregivers. The study enrolled only 20% of caregivers with low education, whereas national estimates suggest more than one third of US caregivers have a high school education or less. Caregivers of service members/veterans were recruited primarily through support organizations, which may not represent all military-related TBI caregivers. The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine whether low health literacy causes poorer outcomes or if other factors are responsible.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that low health literacy negatively affects mental health or general well-being in TBI caregivers. The study found no significant differences in general mental health or caregiver-specific HRQOL between the groups, despite differences in physical health and burden.