Association of health literacy with elevated blood pressure: a cohort study of hospitalized patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The clinical consequences of low health literacy are not fully understood.

Objectives

We evaluated the relationship between low health literacy and elevated blood pressure (BP) at hospital presentation.

Research design and subjects

We conducted a cross-sectional evaluation of adult patients hospitalized at a university hospital between November 1, 2010 and April 30, 2012.

Measures

Health literacy was assessed using the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS). Low health literacy was defined as a BHLS score ≤9. BP was assessed using clinical measurements. The outcome was elevated BP (≥140/90 mm Hg; ≥130/80 mm Hg with diabetes or renal disease) or extremely elevated BP (>160/100 mm Hg) at hospital presentation. Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for

SUBMITTER: McNaughton CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4031281 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature