Table 4 Mean health literacy scores (±SD) and effect sizes (95%CI) across anthropometric and lifestyle risk factors
Scale 1. Feeling understood and supported by healthcare providers | Scale 2. Having sufficient information to manage my health | Scale 3. Actively managing my health | Scale 4. Social support for health | Scale 5. Appraisal of health information | Scale 6. Ability to actively engage with healthcare providers | Scale 7. Navigating the healthcare system | Scale 8. Ability to find good health information | Scale 9. Understanding health information well enough to know what to do | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean score (±SD) | ||||||||||
Score range 1–4 | Score range 1–5 | |||||||||
BMI (kg/m2) | < 25 | 3.17 (0.53) n = 220 | 3.11 (0.41) n = 220 | 3.10 (0.50) n = 219 | 3.15 (0.43) n = 219 | 2.85 (0.48) n = 219 | 4.19 (0.54) n = 216 | 4.13 (0.54) n = 216 | 4.16 (0.54) n = 216 | 4.29 (0.52) n = 216 |
≥25 | 3.23 (0.49) n = 435 | 3.07 (0.43) n = 435 | 2.93 (0.47) n = 434 | 3.06 (0.51) n = 435 | 2.79 (0.49) n = 435 | 4.19 (0.56) n = 432 | 4.10 (0.54) n = 431 | 4.11 (0.57) n = 431 | 4.29 (0.50) n = 432 | |
Effect size for BMI (95% CI) | − 0.12 (− 0.19, − 0.07) | 0.09 (0.04, 0.14) | 0.35 (0.29, 0.40) | 0.19 (0.13, 0.23) | 0.12 (0.06, 0.17) | 0.00 (− 0.07, 0.05) | 0.05 (− 0.02, 0.11) | 0.09 (0.02, 0.14) | 0.00 (− 0.07, 0.05) | |
Waist circumference (cm) | < 80 | 3.19 (0.52) n = 194 | 3.14 (0.42) n = 194 | 3.11 (0.53) n = 194 | 3.17 (0.45) n = 194 | 2.85 (0.49) n = 194 | 4.19 (0.59) n = 191 | 4.14 (0.59) n = 191 | 4.20 (0.59) n = 191 | 4.33 (0.56) n = 191 |
≥80 | 3.22 (0.50) n = 463 | 3.06 (0.42) n = 463 | 2.93 (0.46) n = 461 | 3.06 (0.50) n = 462 | 2.79 (0.48) n = 462 | 4.18 (0.54) n = 459 | 4.09 (0.53) n = 458 | 4.08 (0.56) n = 458 | 4.27 (0.50) n = 459 | |
Effect size for waist (95% CI) | −0.06 (− 0.13, − 0.01) | 0.19 (0.13, 0.23) | 0.37 (0.30, 0.42) | 0.23 (0.16, 0.27) | 0.12 (0.06, 0.17) | 0.02 (− 0.07, 0.07) | 0.09 (0.01, 0.14) | 0.21 (0.13, 0.26) | 0.12 (0.04, 0.16) | |
Sedentary | No | 3.20 (0.50) n = 502 | 3.09 (0.40) n = 502 | 3.03 (0.49) n = 500 | 3.10 (0.49) n = 501 | 2.81 (0.49) n = 501 | 4.22 (0.54) n = 495 | 4.14 (0.53) n = 494 | 4.18 (0.52) n = 494 | 4.34 (0.49) n = 495 |
Yes | 3.26 (0.52) n = 162 | 3.03 (0.52) n = 162 | 2.87 (0.46) n = 162 | 3.06 (0.51) n = 162 | 2.79 (0.49) n = 162 | 4.08 (0.65) n = 162 | 4.00 (0.68) n = 162 | 3.92 (0.73) n = 162 | 4.11 (0.65) n = 162 | |
Effect size for sedentary (95% CI) | −0.12 (−0.16, 0.04) | 0.14 (0.10, 0.22) | 0.33 (0.29, 0.40) | 0.08 (0.04, 0.16) | 0.04 (0.00, 0.12) | 0.25 (0.20, 0.35) | 0.25 (0.20, 0.35) | 0.45 (0.40, 0.56) | 0.43 (0.39, 0.53) | |
Alcohol-drinks per day | ≤2 | 3.20 (0.50) n = 504 | 3.06 (0.43) n = 504 | 2.97 (0.48) n = 503 | 3.07 (0.50) n = 503 | 2.80 (0.49) n = 503 | 4.17 (0.57) n = 498 | 4.08 (0.58) n = 497 | 4.09 (0.60) n = 497 | 4.25 (0.55) n = 498 |
> 2 | 3.24 (0.54) n = 162 | 3.14 (0.42) n = 160 | 3.03 (0.53) n = 159 | 3.15 (0.46) n = 160 | 2.84 (0.48) n = 160 | 4.23 (0.51) n = 159 | 4.16 (0.50) n = 159 | 4.20 (0.50) n = 159 | 4.38 (0.47) n = 159 | |
Effect size for alcohol (95% CI) | −0.08 (−0.12, 0.00) | −0.19 (−0.22, − 0.12) | −0.12 (− 0.16, − 0.04) | −0.16 (− 0.21, − 0.09) | −0.08 (− 0.12, − 0.01) | −0.11 (− 0.16, − 0.03) | −0.14 (− 0.19, − 0.06) | −0.19 (− 0.24, − 0.11) | −0.24 (− 0.29, − 0.17) | |
Smoking | No | 3.22 (0.49) n = 596 | 3.08 (0.43) n = 596 | 3.00 (0.48) n = 594 | 3.10 (0.48) n = 595 | 2.81 (0.49) n = 595 | 4.17 (0.56) n = 590 | 4.09 (0.57) n = 590 | 4.11 (0.58) n = 589 | 4.27 (0.54) n = 589 |
Yes | 3.12 (0.65) n = 69 | 3.10 (0.49) n = 69 | 2.84 (0.56) n = 69 | 2.99 (0.58) n = 69 | 2.79 (0.51) n = 69 | 4.23 (0.66) n = 69 | 4.17 (0.59) n = 69 | 4.17 (0.68) n = 69 | 4.40 (0.52) n = 69 | |
Effect size for smoking (95% CI) | 0.20 (0.16, 0.35) | −0.04 (−0.08, 0.12) | 0.33 (0.29, 0.46) | 0.22 (0.19, 0.36) | 0.04 (0.00, 0.16) | −0.11 (− 0.15, 0.05) | −0.14 (− 0.19, 0.00) | −0.10 (− 0.15, 0.06) | −0.24 (− 0.29, − 0.12) | |