The relationship of patient reading ability to self-reported health and use of health services

D.W. Baker, R.M. Parker, M.V. Williams, W.S. Clark and J. Nurss

American Journal of Public Health, 1997, vol. 87, issue 6, 1027-1030

Abstract: Objectives. This study examined the relationship of functional health literacy to self-reported health and use of health services. Methods. Patients presenting to two large, urban public hospitals in Atlanta, Ga, and Torrance, Calif, were administered a health literacy test about their overall health and use of health care services during the 3 months preceding their visit. Results. Patients with inadequate functional health literacy were more likely than patients with adequate literacy to report their health as poor. Number of years of school completed was less strongly associated with serf- reported health. Literacy was not related to regular source of care or physician visits, but patients in Atlanta with inadequate literacy were more likely than patients with adequate literacy to report a hospitalization in the previous year. Conclusions. Low literacy is strongly associated with self-reported poor health and is more closely associated with self-reported health than number of years of school completed.

Date: 1997
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (22)

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1997:87:6:1027-1030_3

Access Statistics for this article

American Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Alfredo Morabia

More articles in American Journal of Public Health from American Public Health Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Christopher F Baum ().