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Confirmatory Results

Health literacy assessment of primary care patients in a Lower Middle Income Country

Flaka Pasha, View ORCID ProfileDardan Dreshaj, Adelina Ismaili, Idriz Sopjani, Shemsedin Dreshaj
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/630533
Flaka Pasha
Pharmacology and Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology Department, University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo
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Dardan Dreshaj
Researcher, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Business and Technology, Prishtina, Kosovo
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  • For correspondence: dardan.ayd@gmail.com
Adelina Ismaili
Nurse Department, University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo
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Idriz Sopjani
Nurse Department, University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo
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Shemsedin Dreshaj
Infectious Diseases Department, University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo
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Abstract

Background Health literacy includes cognitive and social skills which help patients to access, understand and use medical information in ways that promote and maintain good health. Recently health literacy emerged as an important topic for public health and health policy makers.

Objectives This study was designed to evaluate health literacy level among patients of primary care centers in Prishtina and its association with socioeconomic status, education level, hospitalization rates, self-perception on health and frequency of visits to the doctor.

Methods Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults was used to collect the data. S-TOFHLA administration criteria were strictly followed. 557 questionnaires were collected, filled by patients around Prishtina visiting primary healthcare centers, and further analyzed with SPSS.

Participants Every third patient, older than 15 years old, who entered doctor’s office, was asked to fulfill the test totaling 557 patients.

Results From 557 surveyed patients, according to S-TOFHLA scoring criteria, 79 % of patients are considered as health literate, 9 % have moderate knowledge and 12 % are health illiterate. Results revealed statistically significant differences in test performance between patients with different levels of education (p < .01), between males and females (p = .033), or between patients with different hospitalization rates (p < .05).

Conclusions From results obtained, we can conclude there is an association between health literacy level and variables like gender, socioeconomic status, education level and hospitalization rates.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
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Posted May 07, 2019.
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Health literacy assessment of primary care patients in a Lower Middle Income Country
Flaka Pasha, Dardan Dreshaj, Adelina Ismaili, Idriz Sopjani, Shemsedin Dreshaj
bioRxiv 630533; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/630533
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Health literacy assessment of primary care patients in a Lower Middle Income Country
Flaka Pasha, Dardan Dreshaj, Adelina Ismaili, Idriz Sopjani, Shemsedin Dreshaj
bioRxiv 630533; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/630533

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