Health Literacy and Pregnancy Preparedness in Pregestational Diabetes

Abstract

OBJECTIVE—We investigated the association between functional health literacy and markers of pregnancy preparedness in women with pregestational diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—English- and Spanish-speaking pregnant women with pregestational diabetes were recruited. Women completed the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) short form and a questionnaire. A TOFHLA score of ≤30 was defined as low functional health literacy. RESULTS—Of 74 women participating in the study, 16 (22%) were classified as having low functional health literacy. Compared with women with adequate health literacy, those with low health literacy were significantly more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy (P = 0.02) and significantly less likely to have either discussed pregnancy ahead of time with an endocrinologist or obstetrician (P = 0.01) or taken folic acid (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS—The results of this study suggest that low functional health literacy among women with pregestational diabetes is associated with several factors that may adversely impact birth outcomes.