Literacy and its relationship with self-efficacy, trust, and participation in medical decision making.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between literacy and trust, self-efficacy, and participation in medical decision making in adults with diabetes. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey and chart review was performed. Patients' literacy was categorized as low if measured < or = 6th grade level. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-eight patients participated; 53 had low literacy. No relationship was found between literacy and trust or self-efficacy. Patients with low literacy had less desire to participate in medical decision making (P<0.001) and less diabetes-related knowledge (P<0.001). Literacy was not associated with diabetes outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Low literacy is associated with less desire to participate in medical decision making, but not associated with trust or self-efficacy.