Examining the Health Literacy Level of Individuals Applying to the Ophthalmology Clinic

Abstract

Objective: To determine the health literacy (HL) level of the individuals who apply to the ophthalmology clinic. Materials and Methods: Data for our cross-sectional study were obtained through the Adult Health Literacy Scale (AHLS) and descriptive questionnaire. The data were evaluated with SPSS 22 statistical program. The conformity of the data to normal distribution was evaluated with the kolmogorov-simirnov test. It was determined that it fits the normal distribution. In the evaluation of the data, chi-square analysis was used for descriptive analysis and ANOVA was used to compare categorical variables. Values with p <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: In this study, the mean AHLS score of all participants was found 9.13. The average of female individuals is 7.89 and men are found 10.58 and there is a significant difference (p<0.05). When individuals are divided into age groups, when compared, those in the 20-29 and 30-39 age groups have higher and significant differences compared to those in the 40-49 and 50-65 age groups (p<0.05). Individuals with a profession and a high level of education (high school and university graduates) were found to have higher AHLS and there was a significant difference (p<0.05). The mean AHLS of individuals with chronic disease is 6.17. It was found 11.68 in those without chronic disease. There is a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our study found that individuals who applied to the ophthalmology clinic, especially those with chronic illnesses, those who did not have any professions, those with a low level of education (illiterate or primary school graduates), and those who are older (≥40 years of age) had a low HL level compared to other individuals.

Keywords

• health literacy
• ophthalmology
• chronic diseases

References

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