Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective: to assess the functional levels of health literacy in individuals undergoing dialysis. Method: a cross-sectional study with 42 patients of the Nephrology Unit of a public hospital in Recife, Brazil, from May to August 2016. Data were collected through scripted interviews and chart analysis. Functional health literacy was measured using the Brazilian version of the Short-Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS®) software, version 18.0, with a univariate analysis to verify the association between independent variables and functional health literacy levels using Fisher's exact test. Results: 80.9% of the patients presented inadequate health literacy and 19.1% presented adequate health literacy. The number of correct answers remained between 0-18 in the reading comprehension and in the scheduling appointment card. Among the independent variables, only marital status (p-value=0.018) and personal income (p-value=0.009) were factors associated with the worst scores in the test, indicating that these variables influence the increase in inadequate literacy. Conclusion: the prevalence of inadequate functional literacy was high, reflecting difficulties in understanding and processing health information, which may interfere with therapeutic management and self-care.
Highlights
Chronic renal disease (CRD) is considered a worldwide public health problem due to its high morbidity and mortality.[1]
The objective of the research was to assess functional levels of health literacy in individuals with chronic renal disease undergoing dialysis treatment. This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the Nephrology Unit of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Pernambuco (HC-UFPE), Recife, Brazil, which treats patients with acute or chronic renal failure with conservative treatment, haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
It was found that 80.9% of the patients presented inadequate health literacy and 19.1%
Summary
Chronic renal disease (CRD) is considered a worldwide public health problem due to its high morbidity and mortality.[1]. The increasing number of people on dialysis therapy is associated with a significant increase in the population of patients with nephropathies, generating negative impacts on the individual, the family and the community, as well as increasing the costs of the Brazilian Unified Health System, which is responsible for providing all the treatment.[4]. Because it is chronic and irreversible, CRD forces the patient to change their lifestyle, including dietary re-education, water restriction, drug therapy and, in many cases, adaptation to renal replacement therapy.[5]. Such processes are characterized by the filtration and purification, in the blood, of nitrogenous compounds, such as urea and creatinine.[6]
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