Key result
Lower health literacy links to poorer hypertension knowledge but shows no clear link to BP control.
Why the study?
Is health literacy associated with health outcomes in hypertensive patients?
Systematic Review
Is health literacy associated with health outcomes in hypertensive patients?
While low health literacy is linked to poor hypertension knowledge, there is currently insufficient evidence to confirm an independent association with clinical or behavioral hypertension outcomes.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Low health literacy impairs hypertension knowledge without confirmed outcome effects; leaves open whether interventions targeting it improve blood pressure control.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to summarize the evidence of health literacy and health outcomes in hypertensive patients. METHODS: Articles published in English were searched from six databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, psycINFO, and SCOPUS. The articles published up to September 2017 were included. RESULTS: Nineteen publications were included in the review. There was quality and consistent evidence that hypertensive patients with lower literacy had poorer knowledge. There was inconsistent evidence to show the relationship between health literacy and clinical outcomes, of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and blood pressure control; behavioral outcomes, of self-care, self-efficacy, adherence; patient-physician interactions outcomes, of patient-physician communication, patient trust, involvement in decision making and other outcomes. CONCLUSION: The person with low health literacy is likely to have poor knowledge of hypertension. However, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that health literacy is associated with outcomes of hypertension independently.
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Du et al. (2018) conducted a systematic review in Hypertension. Health literacy vs. Adequate or varying levels of health literacy was evaluated on Knowledge of hypertension, blood pressure control, and other clinical or behavioral outcomes. Lower health literacy in hypertensive patients is consistently associated with poorer knowledge of hypertension, but evidence remains insufficient to independently link it to clinical outcomes such as blood pressure control.
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