Acceptance of illness mediate the effects of health literacy on self-management behaviour

Abstract

Background: Self-management is crucial for blood pressure control and subsequent disease prevention. Health literacy and acceptance of illness may contribute to self-management behaviour; in addition, acceptance of illness may mediate the effects of health literacy on self-management behaviour among patients with hypertension. Objective: The aims of the research were to examine whether health literacy and acceptance of illness were associated with both pharmacological and non-pharmacological management behaviour and examine the possible mediating effects of the acceptance of illness in patients with hypertension. Methods: Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to analyse the relationships between health literacy, acceptance of illness, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management behaviours. Mediation effects were examined by the PROCESS macro. Results: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 478 hypertensive patients completed measures of health literacy, acceptance of illness, self-management, social support, depression, physical function and demographic and clinical characteristics. Functional, communicative, critical health literacy and acceptance of illness showed positive associations to pharmacological and non-pharmacological management behaviour. Acceptance of illness mediated the relationships between three types of health literacy, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management but the effects size and pathway differed. In detail, functional health literacy influenced pharmacological and non-pharmacological management behaviour mainly by indirect effects mediated by the acceptance of illness, but communicative and critical health literacy influenced pharmacological and non-pharmacological management behaviour mainly by direct effects. Conclusions: Acceptance of illness mediated the relationships between three types of health literacy and self-management. Health literacy and acceptance of illness should be addressed when taking measures to improve patients’ self-management behaviour.