Health Literacy of Caregivers

Abstract

Caregivers have an important role in supporting the health of individuals who are dependent for cognitive or physical reasons. Health literacy levels of caregivers affect quality of care and health outcomes. The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess health literacy in the caregivers of home care patients. The participants were caregivers aged 18 to 65 (N = 140). Data collected included sociodemographic characteristics, The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale and The Adult Health Literacy Scale. The mean age of participants in the study was 48 years and 74% were women. The health literacy score was 16.77±3.31. A significant relationship was found between health literacy and education level (p = .000), working status (p = .012), and perception of income (p = .016). Education level was the only predictor of health literacy by logistic regression analysis. Studies aimed at determining health knowledge, skill deficiencies, and education needs of caregivers can provide important information to protect and improve the health of individuals in need of care and increase their quality of life.